96 Transactions. 



gained only by the northern ridge leading to Mount Lidgbird. The eastern 

 face is a sheer drop from summit to sea-level. The summit plateau is 

 about 500 m. long by 300 m. wide, and slopes gently from east to west. 

 Its surface is traversed by two small valleys. Mount Lidgbird is more 

 pyramidal in shape. Its sides lead up by a series of huge cliffs and steep 

 declivities to a short narrow ridge at the summit. 



Splendid opportunities for observing the structure of the mountains 

 are afforded by their sides, which are for the most part sheer cliffs. Both 

 are composed of nearly horizontal beds of lava, which viewed from the sea 

 to the west are seen to incline very slightly in a northerly direction. The 

 present mountains are, therefore, but fragments of a large volcano whose 

 crater was probably to the south. 



The low volcanic hills lying to the north of the mountains fall into three 

 groups : (a.) The Northern Hills form a short ridge with a perpendicular 

 face to the sea and a gentler slope inland, (b.) Transit Hill stands alone 

 in the centre : its east slope reaches the sea ; the remaining sides are 

 surrounded by limestone beds, (c.) Intermediate Hill abuts against the 

 precipitous northern face of Mount Lidgbird, and has clearly been thrown 

 up after the mountain masses had been denuded almost to their present 

 state. It thus affords striking proof of a long period of time having elapsed 

 between the eruptive outbursts producing the mountains and those forming 

 the low hills. Except the Northern Hills, which are most exposed to 

 westerly seas, the volcanic hills are but little denuded by marine action. 

 This is perhaps further evidence of their being much younger than the 

 mountains. 



The flat ground connecting the volcanic hills, together with the reef across 

 West Bay, are formed of stratified limestone beds of marine origin. They 

 contain marine shells, bones of Meiolania, and shells of Placostylus. The 

 latter are probably collections of dead shells embedded in superficial rain- 

 water deposits, or odd shells which have found their way to the sea and 

 there become entombed. I found numbers of these shells on the rocks 

 between tide-marks, many of them utilized by hermit crabs. 



The soils of Lord Howe Island are of two kinds : firstly, that on lime- 

 stone rock, which is loose, sandy, and dry ; secondly, that on volcanic 

 ground, which is darker in colour and contains a good deal of moisture 

 and humus. A sample from the summit of Mount Gower taken in Novem- 

 ber, 1913. during showery weather contained water to the extent of 68 per 

 cent, of its weight. In a sample from Transit Hill collected in fine weather 

 the water-content was 32 per cent, of the total weight. 



Climate. 



Situated on the northern limits of the region of prevailing westerly 

 winds and in a tract of ocean over 400 km. to the eastward of Australia, 

 Lord Howe Island enjoys a climate distinctly insular in character — that 

 is, there is no great range in temperature, and the rainfall is ample, 

 averaging 1,818 mm. per annum. But the frequent high winds probably 

 account for a comparatively low relative humidity, as shown in the annexed 

 tables. The meteorological station is situated on the flat limestone ground 

 between Transit Hill and the Northern Hills, and about 3 m. above sea- 

 level. The observations on which my figures are based were taken by Mr. 

 G. M. Kirby, to whom I am indebted for his kindness in allowing me to 

 inspect his record, but I am entirely responsible for the figures as they appear 



