BY E. C. ANDREWS. 161 



meiits of the local rocks. Shells and other calcareous matter are 

 conspicuous by their absence. At present its surface is covered 

 with thick growths of eucalypts, jungle, pandanus and grass. 

 This flat is doubtless due to redistribution by along shore action 

 of matter lost to the island by marine erosion. 



South Barnard is a very small island composed of basic tuffs, 

 strengthened by several great vertical basaltic dykes, whose 

 powers of resistance have prevented the little island from being- 

 reduced to a terrace of erosion. 



A small sandy flat exists on one side of the island, and at a 

 height of 20 feet above high water mark, on the southern side, 

 indistinct traces of a line of former beach erosion were seen, 

 which reminded the writer somewhat of the elevated lines of 

 marine erosion seen in many of the Fiji Islands.* 



The Xorth Barnards are small, tuifaceons in character, densely 

 brushed, and present mural fronts at times to the sea. 



Fitzroy Island, nearly 1,000 feet in height, is rugged in 

 character, and, in common with the other islands of granitic 

 composition on this coast, is surrounded, as to its shore line, with 

 great spheroidal blocks. 



A small beach exists on the north-west side of this island, 

 exceedingly interesting by reason of : — 



{a) Its steep slopes. 



(6) Its terraced appearance. 



(c) The occurrence, in the bed of a small creek cutting across 

 it, of dense hard " beach rock." 



A section determined by Mr. Hedley and myself is supplied 

 illustrating its excessive steepness (27°), and the great height 

 (18 feet) of the second terrace above high tide mark. 



The lower beach consists of white coral and shell fragments, 

 while the upper one is composed of similar material, but quite 

 black in colour. The section was taken near the south-western 

 extremity of the beach. ^ 



" Andrews, " Notes on Geology of Fiji." Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harv. 

 Coll., 1900, xxxviii. 

 11 



