457 



THE CONTINENTAL ORIGIN OF FIJI. 



By W. G. WooLNOurm, B.Sc, F.G.S. 



Part I. — General Geology. 



(Plates xxii.-xxxiv. 



i. —Introduction. 



The question of the probable continental origin of the larger 

 islands of the Fiji Group has been discussed for many years with 

 considerable interest. The evidence brought forward has been 

 mainly biological, though a small amount of geological work has 

 also been done. 



ii. — Previous Work. 



Owing to my very limited opportunities for collecting refer- 

 ences, I fear my bibliography is very incomplete. 



In 1851 A. A. Gould* noticed that if we consider the evidence 

 afforded by the land shells, " the Samoan and Friendly Islands 

 are more intimately related to the Society Islands, though at a 

 much greater distance, than to the Feejee Islands. . . . Indeed, 

 judging from the land shells, the Feejees are more nearly allied 



* Quoted from Hedley's paper (13), not from the original. 



