246 Transactions. 



do occur, as from the advanced metamorpliism state of the pebbles of 

 uralitic porphyry from Malekula they must date back to times preceding 

 the folding." 



The Solomon Islands, according to Guppy, contain quartzites and schists. 



Fiji. 



The first geological evidence of the continental origin of Fiji was supplied 

 by Wichmann in 1883. He worked up the material collected in 1876-78 

 by Kleinschmidt and GrafEe from Viti Levu and other islands of the group. 

 This included crystalline schists, granular Hmestone, granite, diorite, gabbro, 

 found partially in situ but partially in river-deposits. Wichmann remarks, 

 " No older massive rocks or sedimentary strata are known from the other 

 ' volcanic ' groups of islands of the Pacific Ocean (excepting Pelew, Solomon 

 Islands, New Caledonia, Marquesas Islands). On some of them — for 

 example, the Galapagos, or Sandmch Islands — it seems really to be made 

 out that they have been built up by younger and recent volcanic masses. 

 There is a possibility, and even a probability, however, that older formations 

 served as a fundament, the examination of which is prevented by the 

 extensive covering."* These remarks seem to apply in the case of the 

 Kermadecs. 



W. H. Guppy, in his book entitled " The Naturalist in the Pacific," 

 discussed the question, but he approached the subject with a mind ap- 

 parently made up in the contrary direction, and he denied that Fiji ever 

 formed part of a continent. He maintained that the islands were entirely 

 volcanic, or composed of marine tufis now elevated above the sea. Although 

 he found plutonic rocks in Vanua Levu, he attached no importance to the 

 fact, and was evidentlv unaware of Wichmann's discoveries. 



Any doubt as to the continental character of Fiji was set at rest by the 

 work of Dr. Woolnough. He published his first paper on the subject in the 

 Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New South Wales in 1904, and con- 

 firmed his first results by subsequent examination of Viti Levu, pubUshing 

 an account of his work in the same journal in the year 1907. On both 

 occasions he found in the interior of Viti Levu in situ large developments 

 of gneisses, schists, granite, slates, and other metamorphosed rocks of un- 

 doubtedly great age. A series of specimens sent to the present author 

 from the northern unvisited part of the island contains large fragments of 

 quartz (evidently derived from veins in sedimentary rock), fragments of 

 hornblende diorite from a tuff or conglomerate, as well as trachytes, andesites, 

 and basalts. Among the collection is a rolled fragment of nephrite which 

 was picked up in a creek on the north of the island east of Ba. I view this 

 specimen with a certain amount of suspicion, as it may have been brought 

 there by man and dropped in the creek ; but it nevertheless may be derived 

 from a soUd mass of the stone in position— a possibility by no means re- 

 mote, seeing the development of allied rocks in the neighbouring island of 

 New Caledonia. 



Although the continental character of Fiji is certain, yet it shows evidence 

 of a recent elevation. However, the island of Kandavu, about fifty miles 

 south of Suva, has undoubtedly been a part of the mainland, judging from 

 its fauna and flora, yet it is separated from the mainland of Fiji by over 



Quoted in Dr. Baur's paper, loc. cif. 



AC I 



