PHOTOTYPE PLATE NO. XI. 21 



views pertained. Tiie coral growth in this initial reef-view is highly characteristic of the 

 equatorial region to which it belongs. Warrior Island or Tud, as it is known to the natives, is 

 situated in the parallel of 9° 50" south latitude, the northernmost point of the associated reefs 

 extending to within so short a distance as ten miles only, as the crow flies, of the New 

 Guinea coast. The island, occupying the horizon-line to the extreme right of the photographic 

 illustration, is of typical coral origin, elevated but a few feet above the level of high spring-tide, 

 and having at its base a substratum of solidified coral debris. It will be shown, in the chapter 

 dealing with the special subject of the Beche-de-mer industry, that it represents one of the 

 most important Queensland outposts for the prosecution of this extensive fishery. 



The general facies of this Warrior Island reef is altogether distinct from that of any 

 previously illustrated. The hummock^- Goniastrseae, Maeandrinae, and other Astrseaceas, invariably 

 present in less or greater numbers throughout all the inshore or fringing reefs, are here con- 

 spicuously absent. In place of these, the coral-growing area is almost exclusively occupied by 

 innumerable species of delicately-branching, resplendent Madreporas. The luxuriant group 

 that occupies the foreground on the right-hand side of the present reef-view is typical of 

 the entire area. The symmetrical, bouquet-like coralla of Madrepora millepora represent the 

 most conspicuous variety. The life tints of this species are remarkably beautiful ; the general 

 ground tint being usually light buff or cream colour, while all the terminations of the crowded 

 branchlets vary from a delicate lilac to the brightest mauve. The more shrubby specimen, in 

 the immediate forefront of this group, is an example of Madrepora liebcs, a species that abounds 

 with numerous variations of growth and colour, throughout the Great Barrier district. The 

 individual specimen above referred to, and the many other coralla of this species included 

 in this reef-view, were of a rich seal-brown hue, with the exception of the growing apices, 

 which were pure white. Not unfrequently the colony-stocks of this coral are brilliant green, 

 sometimes green with lilac tips, or, again, a brilliant lilac hue throughout. Characteristic 

 illustrations of this very variable species, together with a representation of its living polyps, 

 are included in Figs. 13 to 15 of Chromo plate No. IX. As attested in the special Coral- 

 Descriptive chapter, this species of Madrepora is not only subject to much local colour variation, 

 but the characteristic tints of an individual corallum may alter within relatively short time-limits. 



Intercalated among the corymbiform, or bouquet-shaped, Madreporas in the group under 

 discussion, a large short-spined sea-urchin, or echinus, Spha;recltinus atistralia; may be discerned, 

 though, to some extent, concealed by a mass of adherent seaweed. Although not visible in 

 the illustration, the area it embraces abounded with other representatives of the Echinoderm 

 class. Huge nodular, orange-and-red, star-fishes. Greasier nodosiis, of which an example is figured 

 in Chromo plate No. XL, were thickly scattered over all the intervening (submerged) sandy- 

 tracts. Interspersed among them were numbers of the large Cushion-Star, Culcita grex, 

 represented by Fig. 10 of the same coloured lithograph, whose aspect in the living state 



