828 president's address. 



of boring machinery. The expedition, of which Professor Sollas 

 was placed in charge, sailed from Sydney in May, to Funafuti, an 

 atoll lying half way between Fiji and the equator which had 

 been selected as the scene of operations. 



The impression usually prevailing that a coral reef was a dense 

 and homogeneous mass was soon dispelled when the diamond drill 

 began to work, and it was shown instead to contain caves and 

 lissures filled with quicksand. The latter proved too much for 

 the apparatus at command, and after penetrating to a depth of 

 105 feet in the first instance and 72 feet in the second, further 

 attempts were abandoned. 



Although the chief line of inquiry was defeated, important 

 results were achieved by the officers of H.M.S. Penguin, whose 

 soundings perfectly develop the submarine slojae and contour 

 lines. 



These observations and some made later in the year by officers 

 of the same vessel on the Alexa Bank throw much light on the 

 conditions under which coral formations appear to take their I'ise, 

 which are apparently not those assumed by Darwin. 



The naturalists attached to the Funafuti expedition amassed 

 collections illustrative of the ethnology, zoology and botany of the 

 island, and a memoir based on the gatherings and observations of 

 Mr. Hedley, who was attached to the expedition, is now in course 

 of publication by the Australian Museum. The reports so far 

 reflect immensely to the credit of Mr. Hedley, who seems to have 

 allowed no detail, however a^^parently unimportant, to elude his 

 observation. The general account of the atoll and of the manners 

 and customs of the inhabitants, written by himself, will be read 

 with interest by all, and the hope will naturally arise that Mr. 

 Hedley may have opportunities accorded to him of taking part 

 in future investigations of the kind. 



A reprint of Professor Sollas's Report, published in " Nature," 

 of February 18th, came to hand yesterday. 



Another expedition for the investigation of coral reefs— I refer 

 to Professor Agassiz's visit last winter to the Great Barrier Reef 



had, owing to bad weather, which is a most unusual occurrence 



