l8o Recent Views regardi7tg Coral Reefs. [Sess. 



to these heated areas supplies the other factors needed for the 

 generation of eruptive rocks. But in the majority of cases 

 that have been carefully investigated, the base of the reef has 

 been found to consist of calcareous ooze — now a limestone — 

 which has been formed on the sea-floor, and, in many cases, in 

 deep water. The age of these deposits can be readily 

 determined by means of their included organic remains, and 

 the majority of them prove to be of comparatively recent 

 origin. Most of them are of earlier date than the Age of 

 Snow, but of later date than the volcanoes of Skye, Mull, Eum, 

 Antrim, &c. This is to say, they are of Miocene, or even Early 

 Pliocene, age. From this it is evident that the slow pulsations 

 of the Earth's crust, which appear to be always in progress in 

 one part or another, have gradually thrown the ocean -floor 

 into parallel ridges and hollows ; and upon the crests of the 

 ridges, as soon as the elevation brought them high enough 

 to reach the surface films of water at 68° Fahr., the corals 

 have perched, and then built up their reefs in the way 

 described. 



It may be pointed out, in conclusion, that the evidence of 

 recent upheaval of the ocean-floor applies especially to the 

 Pacific Ocean. There is no need to advance any further argu- 

 ments against the idea that the ocean basins and the Continental 

 masses are in any sense permanent. 



At this meeting Miss Beatrice Sprague contributed an 

 interesting paper on "Flints from a Workshop of Neolithic 

 Man," which was illustrated by a large number of specimens. 



