thinner towards the north-east and on the northern side of Rakino Island is about 7 in. thick-'--probably a thin dusting of it has influenced' soil fertility on the Noisies Is. further north. On both islands, it covers fossil yellow-brown earths which,' on Motutapu, appear' to have been podzolised in places, indicating that at some stage prior to the eruption kauri had been a component of the v...