230 CORALS 



periods of cle\'ation, and that coral reef formation has been 

 stimulated, checked, or even stopped, in successive periods 

 of time. 



If it is necessar}', then, to abandon a part of the theory 

 of coral reefs suggested by Darwin, or to agree that his 

 theory does not account for the formation of some reefs 

 which have been investigated since his time, there is no 

 reason whatever for rejecting the many interesting and im- 

 portant results of his investigations, or for under-estimating 

 the marvellous skill with which he marshalled his facts and 

 formulated his scientific conclusions. 



