196 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
Examples of every gradation may be seen, from tlic simple tuff-crater uith- 
out any cone, to those which are entirely filled up by the scoria-cones. 
Especially interesting are those which may be said to represent the middle 
state, in wliich there is a small cone stanuiug like an island in a large tuff- 
crater, and surrotmded by either water or swamp. Perliaps the most perfect 
specimens of this kind occur at Otaliuhu, and near Captain Hanltain's estate. 
Auckland itself is but over the centre of an old tuff-crater, from which fiery 
streams once issued, and which has thrown out its ashes towards the hiU on 
whicii the barracks stand. In order to account for their various shapes, it 
must be borne in mind that the cones of scoria were once higher, but on the 
cessation of volcanic action they sunk down in cooling, and some have entii-ely 
disappeared. 
That the Auckland volcanos were, in the true sense of the word, " burning 
mountains," is proved not only by the lava-streams, which are immense in com- 
parison to the size of the cones, but also from the pear-shaped volcanic bombs 
which, ejected from the mountain in a fluid state, have received their shape 
from their rotary motion through the aii". That their eruptions have been of 
comparatively recent date, is shown by the ashes that everywhere form the sur- 
face, and from the lava-streams having taken the course of the existing valleys. 
This is beautifully exemplified by the probably simultaneous lava-streams of 
Mount Eden, tiie Three Kings, and Mount Albert, whieli, flowing through a 
contracted valley, meet altogether on the Great North "Road, and form one 
large stream to the shore of the Waitemata. But many thousand years may 
have passed since Raugitoto, which is probably the most recent of the Auck- 
land volcanos, was in an active state. 
Many subjects of interest were passed over by Dr. Hochstetter with only casual 
remarks, such as the quat emary formation in the Drury, Papakura, and Waiuku 
flats ; the basaltic boiilder formation ; the alluvial formations in the middle and 
lower Waikato Basin, and other places ; and the changes which are now 
going on. 
The materials accumulated during his six month's sojourn in New Zealand 
wiU require, he states, several years of labour to prepare for publication ; but 
we are led to expect valuable results whenever his work is completed. 
Ancient Canoes. — Dear Sir, — There being now reason to believe that the 
British Isles were tenanted by human beings who probably crossed over from 
the great continent of Europe, the question of the antiquities of canoes becomes 
highly interesting. Very primitive indeed are these ancient canoes which have 
hitherto been found — siinply a part of a triuik of a tree split and hollowed out 
with rudely formed adzes of flint, such as have been found in the crannoges* 
in Ireland. 
Seventeen such canoes have been found in the strata formed by the river 
Clyde ; for an account of which see the lecture on Geology, given by his Grace 
the Duke of Argyll, before the members of the Glasgow Athenaeum, in January 
of last year. 
Erom the fact of the canoes being found twenty feet below the surface, there 
can be no doubt that they were entombed at a very remote period, for it must 
have requii-ed a long time for those canoes to have become covered to that ex- 
tent with the sand and gravel brought down by the river, in the waters of 
wiiich thay had sunk. Numbers of similar instances might be adduced of 
canoes being found at considerable deptlus. 
Of the canoes above alluded to, one is stated to have been found in digging 
* See the " Catalo^ie of Antiquities of Stone, &c., in the Royal Irish Academy." Dublin 
M. H. Gill. 
