THE AUSTRALIAN GREAT BARRIER REEF. 103 



this reef, nearly two miles in diameter, as recorded by Juices, together with its composition of 

 intermingled areas of white sand and dead and growing coral patches, is characteristically 

 portrayed in this photo-mezzotype illustration. The coral-fauna of this most southern reef 

 differs in no essential respect from that of the reefs farther north. It includes representatives 

 of almost all of the types that enter conspicuously into their composition. It is possible, in 

 the illustration above quoted, to recognise a good many species, comprising conspicuous 

 coral la of Madrcpora iiiillepora, Pocillopora damicornis, Lophoseris cristata, and species of Cceloria 

 and Porites. Frilled Clams, Tridacna couiprcssa, with their brilliant spotted mantles, and the 

 long, slender-spined sea-urchin, Diadema setosa, abound in the intervening pools. Lady Elliot 

 Island reef produces also that remarkable thick-spined Echinus, Hctcrocentrotns nwiiwiillatiis, locally 

 named the "Slate-pencil Urchin," represented by Fig. 13 of Chromo plate No. XI. 



The turtles and the flocks of birds referred to in Mr. Jukes' narrative have become scarce, 

 owing to the disturbing influences of the lighthouse colony, and the extent to whicli the 

 island is visited by excursionists from the mainland. Fish, however, of both useful and orna- 

 mental kinds, abound within and without the margin of the reef. That species of bream, 

 Pagriis ttnicolor, popularly known as the Schnapper, and rightly reckoned to be one of the finest 

 of Australian food fishes, is particularly plentiful on the banks of the north-east side of the reef, 

 and is the special subject of attraction to visitors. The reef-pools also teem with brilliantly- 

 coloured small fishes, including notably the beautiful ultramarine-blue Labroides, with yellow 

 fins, delineated by Fig. 9 of No. XVI. of the chromo-lithographic series; also the little black 

 fish of the same genus, decorated with a single broad, pale peacock-green, stripe, represented by 

 Fig. 4 of the same plate. Large blue-spotted sting-rays, Myliobatis australis, bask lazily in the 

 intervening sandy patches ; and among the deeper pools the bizarre tobacco-pipe fish, Fistularia 

 scrrata, photographically reproduced in Plate XLV., Fig. 5, may frequently be met. This fish in 

 life is of a rich golden-brown hue, decorated along the sides with brilliant azure-blue spots. As 

 may be surmised from its external features, it is a feeble swimmer, and can be easily cornered 

 and captured. The species of Beche-de-mer observed by the author on this reef, in addition to 

 the form illustrated by Plate XXXIII. , included the valuable commercial variety known to the 

 trade as " Barrier Surf-Red " whose technical title, as identified by Professor F. J. Bell, is 

 Actinopyga manritiaiia. 



On the way north from Lady Elliot Island, a whole chain of reefs and islands belong- 

 ing to the Bunker and Capricorn groups is fallen in with. These groups occupy an area, 

 running north-east by south-west, of about fifty-five miles. The majority of them constitute 

 a fairly regular series at an approximate distance of between thirty and forty miles from 

 the mainland coasts. One or two belonging to the most northern Capricorn series, however, 

 approach as near as twenty -five miles. The permanently dry islets of the outer series 

 number twelve; and, in addition to these, there are eight charted reefs, which are laid bare 



