C—lo.

4

sulphides are rare in these rocks. Quartz lodes, of which so much has been spoken, are also nearly absent, only one true reef more than a few inches thick coming under my notice. The district and its geology is in other repects interesting; more especially is this the case with regard to the recent covering of pumice that lies over a great part of the area. In the southern Kawekas there are thick bands of brown sandy shales, full of coarse plant-remains, which lead to the impression that coal may occur in some parts of the district over which these rocks extend. Geology of the Rimutaka and Ruahine Ranges. These were examined in part during the year by my assistant—the Rimutaka Range before the trip to the Kaimanawa Mountains, the Ruahine Range afterwards. The red and green jasperoid or calcareous rocks that distinguish the Rimutaka and Tararua Mountains are continued across the Manawatu Gorge, and are present throughout the whole length of the Ruahine Ranges, and to some extent are present in the Kaweka Range and yet further north. They are, however, absent from the Kaimanawa Mountains, which confirms me in the opinion that two formations are represented by the older sedimentary rocks of the Wellington Provincial District, the older of which is undoubtedly Palteozoic and the younger is probably of Triassic age. Traces of copper in the younger formation are met with wherever the red and green rocks are, and the calcareo-argillaceous rocks sometimes pass into crystalline or fossiliferous limestones. A comparatively pure crystalline limestone (marble) occurs on the shores of Cook Strait, and copper is found both in the Rimutaka and Ruahine Ranges. On the Identity of the Quartz Lodes and Shoots of Gold in the Country East and West of the Moanatairi Slide, Thames. In this paper I discuss the relation of the rocks and quartz lodes east and west of the Moanatairi Slide, and show the improbability of the country on the foreshore and in the foot-hills west of the slide ever having had plice as far to the east as Punga Flat; also that, assuming that this could have been the case, by no amount of reasoning could it be shown that the great shoot of gold in the country displaced downwards and westwards by the slide now finds its downward continuation in the lodes of the upper part of Moanatairi Creek and the vicinity of Punga Flat— a barren belt of country which west of the slide underlies the great shoot, and to the east appears at the surface interposing and separating this from the auriferous horizon of Punga Flat. I have, &c, Alex. McKay, The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Government Geologist.

NOTES ON THE GLASS-MAKING SANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. By Alexander McKay, F.G.S., Government Geologist. The Agent-General having obtained a report on a sample of quartz-sand from Ashburton district, Canterbury, which was satisfactory has led to the compilation of these notes on the glass-making sands of New Zealand. The sample reported on by Professor W. R. Dunstan, F.R.S., contained 93 per cent, of silica, o*l7 per cent, of ferric oxide, and 0-08 per cent, of calcium; and, "in order to obtain definite information as to the value of the New Zealand specimen, a sample was sent to one of the largest manufacturers of plate-glass in the country [England], who reports that if sand of the same quality can be regularly supplied it would command about 7s. 6d. delivered f.o.b. at St. Helens, Lancashire." The sample in question was probably taken from the coal-measures skirting the western base of Mount Somers, where there are very considerable deposits of loose sands of different grades of fineness and degrees of colour. In 1872 I examined these sands along the course of Petrifying Gully, and have since examined similar deposits of different ages in all parts of New Zealand; and, as there are many deposits equal, even superior, in quality, and of far greater extent than those of the Ashburton district, some account of their character, position, and accessibility will be of interest, and may lead to the establishment of works for their utilisation. It is evident that at the price quoted above they would not pay for exportation to England. There are, however, sands in the North Island of New Zealand that for quality, fineness, and freedom from all impurity are far superior to those of the Ashburton district, and would form, with but little preparation, the material for the production of white plate of the highest quality, and even the best optical glass. Such sands occur in abundance on the east coast of the northern district of Auckland, and should command a price that would enable the material to be sent to England. Coastal sands, where not derived from schistose or granitoid areas, are usually of a grey colour, and, besides, are apt to contain calcareous and other impurities. The consequence is that along the east coast of the South Island the wind-blown sands carried inland from the tideway would not be suitable for other than for bottle-making, &c. The west coast of the North Island also would not afford good glass-sands, on account of the presence of magnetite in them, the magnetite being often considerable and in many places the larger quantity. The same applies to many localities on the west coast of the South Island where otherwise the sands might be made available for glass-making purposes. Sandhills formed by wind-drift, if the material be otherwise