Hot Springs.

In the South Island hot springs are known only in two places, one in the Hanmer plains, Amúri county, and the other near Lake Sumner, about 40 miles S.W. of the first. In the North Island there is only one hot spring east of the main range; it is near Waiapu, in the East Cape district. But west of the main range they are very numerous; all the more important ones lie in a broad band along the axis of the ge-anticlinal, from the base of Tongaríro, through Lake Taupo and the upper Waíkato, to Lake Rotomahána and Lake Rotorua, forming one of the most wonderful regions in the world. Dr. Hochstetter distinguishes three parallel lines of springs; but it requires some determination in the tracing of lines to make this out. North of this region the hot springs are isolated. They occur at Pupunúi on the Thames, near Lake Whangape in the Lower Waíkato, at Waiwera near Auckland, at Mahurangi, also near the Bay of Islands, and on the Great Barrier Island. Geysers, solfataras, fumaroles, mud-volcanoes, and springs depositing siliceous sinter are confined to the central rhyolitic region of the North Island.

The best description of the hot-spring region will be found in Dr. Hochstetter's works. The Rev. R. Abbay has given a very clear explanation of the formation of our sinter terraces^*. Accounts of the mineral waters have been given by Mr. Skey ^† and by Dr. Hector ^‡.