BY E. C. ANDREWS. 163 



King* ascribes the origin of the higher beach to gale action, 

 and Prof. Agassiz refers it also to similar agencies, f G. Elphin- 

 stone Dalyrniple also refers it to elevation. | In this connection 

 Brazier§ writes : — " The beach (at the Fitzroy landing place) was 

 composed of nothing but coral and shells, about 30 yards long, 

 six to seven feet in thickness, and the same in breadth. During 

 my second visit (1875) the whole of the bank had been washed 

 away by some heavy gale." As, however, the present beach is 

 500 or 600 yards long and several chains in breadth the excision 

 of such an insignificant fragment as mentioned by Brazier would 

 not affect the general appearance of the beach. 



The occurrence of " beach rock " in the bed of a stream of 

 fresh water, compact and hard almost as building limestone, is 

 very interesting, pointing to its origin (as suggested b}^ many 

 geologists) being referable to the action of fresh water. 



From the summit of Fitzroy the sunken coral patches of the 

 outer Barrier could be seen for miles. 



Green Island is small, and consists of sand scattered over a 

 base of coral. It is merely a portion of the Great Barrier Reef 

 itself, determined partly by elevatory forces, and partly by the 

 combined efforts of seolian and marine agencies, and populated by 

 animal and vegetable waifs from the neighbouring mainland, 

 which at this point is but a few miles distant. 



On the reef surrounding this island coral and other growths 

 are more luxuriant than in the turbid waters around the small 

 islands dottins: the continental shelf. 



* Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Aus- 

 tralia, i., 1827, p. 206. 



t " A Visit to the Great Barrier Reef of AustraUa, &c." Bull. Mus. Couip. 

 Zool. Harv. Coll. xxviii., 1898, p. 110. 



X Brisbane. By authority, 1874. 



§ Journal of Conchology, ii., pt. 6, June, 1S7&. 



