H.—23

28

(2.) The Kilgour and Tyneside Colliery, Brunnerton, Grey Eiver, shows lumps of coal from the 16ft. seam, and also a pile of a good- quality of coko. (Catalogue, No. 394.) (3.) The Coal Creek Company, which adjoins the Brunswick Company's section, are working two seams, one 6ft. and the second 10ft. in thickness. (Catalogue, No. 387.) (4.) The Kaitangata Eailway and Coal Company exhibit a solid block of coal without any bands or partings, measuring 4ft. square by sft. in height. (Catalogue, No. 395.) (5.) The Bay of Islands Coal Company show a good sample of coal from their colliery, in which the thickness of the seam which they are working is from 10ft. to 17ft. (Catalogue, No. 386.) (6.) From the Waikato a block of pitch-coal, measuring 2ft. by 4ft. by sft., has been sent. (Catalogue, No. 408.) The diagrams attached to these exhibits and the special catalogue of the New Zealand Court supply much valuable information, and in connection with, this subject a collection of forty-four samples of coal has been prepared by the Geological Department, giving, in a tabulated form, the description of the coal-samples, the name of the locality from where they were obtained, the geological formation of the strata in which the seams are found, and, in each case, a chemical analysis; and also their evaporative powers or the actual number of pounds of water converted into steam by lib. of coal. For the purpose of still further calling the attention of the visitors to this court to the importance and value of the coal-regions of the .colony, apart from a large topographical relief-map, several other maps of New Zealand are exhibited. The most important ones referring to this subject are— (1.) A large geological relief-map ; scale, lin. to 4 miles horizontal, lin. to 6,000 ft. vertical; (2.) A geological map, dated 1888 ; scale, 12 miles to an inch; on which have been marked the localities where mineral ores have been .found; (3.) The tracings of a sheet geological.map, on Jin. scale ; and (4.) Geological maps of the Grey Eiver, Buller, and Collingwood Coalfields. These maps show thf; distribution and the area of the extensive coal-regions that are. being at present energetically developed (during 1887, New Zealand Catalogue, the total consumption of coal in the colony was 528,620 tons), and also on perusing the references noted on the chart (2), as well as sundry official reports presented for reference on this subject, that the geological age of the formation in which the above-mentioned coal-seam occurs is stated to belong to that of the cretaceo-tertiary. Numerous impressions of fossil-plants, &c, certainly of great interest to the student, which were obtained from the strata of the coal-measures, amongst which are remarkable the typical and characteristic fossil-plants, according to Daintree, of the Taeniopteris genus, are all exhibited, together with fossil-shells, under the classification of cretaceo-tertiary formation. [Approximate Cost of Fewer.— Preparation, nil : printing (1,700 copies), £21 7s.]

Authority: Geokge Didßeuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB9.