188 ox A FOSSILIFEEOIJS BED, EXDEAYOUR EIYEE, 



shells, and occasional fragments of coral. The latter is mucli worn 

 and broken, and is evidently derived from some of the reefs, the 

 nearest of which is about eight miles away. Tlie township of 

 Cooktown is built on the slopes of Grassy Hill at less than a mile 

 inside the bar, where the volcanic dyke ceases and where the hill 

 is less steep. Some short time since the corporation had occasion 

 to make some excavations at the foot of the hill and not very far 

 from the volcanic dj^ke. At a depth of ten feet a deposit of coral 

 debris was reached, consisting of broken fragments such as we 

 only meet now very close to a coral reef or at its surface. It 

 was of entirely a different nature from the shingle now being 

 deposited around the trap boulders. 



I examined the debris carefully, and found it consisted of 

 existing species of Madrepora, Fungia, Tiirhinaria, Favonia, 

 Seriato2)ora, Favia, Focillopora, Solenastrcea, Galaxea, Mussa, &c. 

 I could not trace any difference either in the size or character of 

 the fossils, but some of the species are more common than those 

 of the neighbouring reefs. The fragments were not much rolled 

 as coral usually is when it forms shingle beds. It was stained a 

 reddish colour, no doubt derived from the alluvium above it, 

 which was derived from the decomposed trap. The level of the 

 deposit was about three or four feet above the present water level 

 and about a dozen j^ards from where the waters now reach. There 

 is no living coral growing anywhere near these beds, the nearest 

 reef from which the formation has been derived must have been 

 near, and all traces of it have now disappeared. There must 

 have been also some alteration in the levels, j)robably upheaval, 

 though it is but slight. We cannot easily suppose that the bed 

 of the estuary has shifted. The fresh-water stream connected 

 with it, that is to say the Endeavour River and its tributaries is 

 too insignificant to effect the formation of the estuary. At present 

 I do not see any way of accounting for the deposit, except by 

 upheaval and the consequent destruction of the coral. The fact 

 is of great importance, because if established it is the only instance 



