6 



"ALBATROSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



with very narrow fringing reefs, the latter with wide fringing or barrier 

 reefs. 



The east coast of Madagascar has only patches of coral reefs, while 

 the northwest face is studded with them (A. Chart 758). Of the Comoro 

 Islands, Mayotta alone is protected by a barrier reef (A. Charts 2762 

 and 2741). Bourbon has only coral patches (A. Chart 1497), while 

 both Mauritius (A. Chart 711) and Rodriguez (A. Chart 715) have barrier 

 and fringing reefs, in the latter they are strikingly similar to the wide 

 reef flats of Ponapi. Similarly the Amirante Islands all have barrier 

 or fringing reefs, while in the Seychelles the principal islands — Mahe, 

 Silhouette, and others — have only comparatively imimportant fringing 

 reefs (A. Chart 721). I would also refer to similar conditions due to the 

 absence of these platforms on several of the volcanic islands of the West 

 Indian Windward group.' Martinique^ is specially interesting, having a 

 well-marked platform round the southern extremity, while the slopes 

 of Pelee, forming the northern part of the island, pass into a steep sub- 

 marine slope. 



■ Grenada, H. O. Chart 1316. Grenadines, H. O. Chart 357. Dominica, H. O. Chart 1318. 

 St. Vincent, 11. O. Chart 1279. Guadeloupe, II. O. Chart 363. See also A. Agassiz, Bull. M. C. Z., 

 Vol. XXVI., No. 1, 1894, p. 145. 2 H. O. Chart 1009. 



^•'ative Ult, J Al-(i-ii.it iJAV, .MAi;guESAS. 



