2-i-i TEAXSACTI0X3 AXD PEOCEEDI^'GS 01 THE [Sbss. lvjii. 



the soft friable volcanic tuft' of the eastern half of the 

 crater. The greater part of Eound Island is formed of 

 this volcanic tuft', which abounds in olivine, and occurs in 

 well marked strata. On the western side of the island I 

 observed that the strata dipped towards the west at an 

 angle of about 35 degrees. In many places there were 

 narrow fissures running east and west, and other fissures 

 at right angles to these. The greater part of the surface 

 of the island is composed of bare rocks of volcanic tuff, 

 from which almost all the soil has been washed away by 

 the heavy rains into the sea. Scattered over the surface 

 of the island from the seashore to the summit of the hill, 

 I observed large blocks of vesicular doleritic lava, rich in 

 olivine. The summit of the hill is crowned with three 

 remarkable blocks of this rock, about 200 yards distant 

 from one another. I also observed blocks of limestone 

 scattered over the surface of the ground from the seashore 

 to the summit of the hill. This stone contains Diatomacefe 

 and other organisms. "When struck with another stone, it 

 gives out a metallic ring. 



Our knowledge of the flora of Eound Island is at present 

 very unsatisfactory, because many of the plants found on 

 the island have been either imperfectly identified or not 

 identified at all, from the absence of flowers and fruit. 

 Owing to the great di£6culty of landing on the island, 

 except after a spell of calm weather, it has happened that 

 the flora has been investigated at the same season of the 

 year by the difterent naturalists who have visited the 

 island. Colonel Lloyd \T.sited Eound Island in December 

 1844, Colonel Pike in November 1868 and 1869, Sir H. 

 Barkly and Mr. Home in Xovember 1869, and I in 

 November 1889. 



The following table shows the number of species in each 

 of the three divisions of the vegetable kingdom ; but it is 

 probable that in some instances, owing to imperfect speci- 

 mens, the same plant may have been referred to different 

 species by the difi'erent botanists who have investigated the 

 flora of Round Island. I have tried to obviate this source 

 of error as far as possible. Further investigation and the 

 examination of perfect specimens in flower and fruit, where 

 these can be obtained, will clear up doubtful points, and it 



