402 THE GEOLOGY OF THE NEW HEBRIDES, 



on with as rapidly as circumstances permitted, and is now pre- 

 sented in as condensed a form as is consistent with not losing 

 sight of such details as may throw light on the main issues of 

 geological research in these islands. 



The work of describing the foraminifera has been kindly under- 

 taken by the National Museum of Melbourne, and Mr. F. 

 Chapman, A.L.S., P.R.M.S., has already published one paperf 

 on the oldest fossiliferous horizon in the Group, and has at 

 present under examination, as time permits, a collection of 

 foraminiferous material ranging from Miocene to recent beach 

 sands. 



The examination of the mollusca and corals, etc., was under- 

 taken by the Australian Museum of Sydney, and the results of 

 much careful work by Mr. C. Hedley, F.L.S., Conchologist, and 

 Mr. T. Whitelegge, Zoologist, appear arranged in tabulated order 

 in the Appendix. The frequent references to genera of fossil forms 

 found in the beds described, which occur scattered through the 

 text, are all drawn from the work of Messrs. Hedley, Whitelegge 



and Chapman. 



DsTEODUCTIOX. 



Although the existence of the Xew Hebrides has been known 

 to Europeans for 300 years past, dating from the landing of 

 Quiros in 1606 at the mouth of the Jordan River, yet on account 

 of the extreme hostility of the natives, and the prevalence in many 

 parts of malaria of an acute type, this group long remained a Terra 

 Incognita; only comparatively recently, since the establishment 

 of the Missions, has a proper knowledge of the geography and 

 natural features been obtained. Geological knowledge of these 

 islands still remained very limited, and with the exception of 

 four or five short papers on the subject, is practically all that can 

 be gleaned from vague reports of vessels cruising in the vicinity, 

 and from casual observations appearing in works of resident 

 missionaries. Several of these notices being very much in error 

 somewhat complicated our work at the outset. 



t Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1905, p. 261. 



