CORALS AND CORAL REEFS VAUGHAN. 



229 



Stratigraj)hic relations of West Indian and Canal Zone Eocene and Oligocene 

 reef corals and coral reefs. 



Stratigraphic distribution of coral reefs and reef corals in the southeastern 

 United States from Oligocene to Recent time, and their relation to changing 

 sea level. 



It appears unnecessary to present more evidence on this subject. 

 The result of the examination of the fossil reefs is the same as that 

 obtained from the study of the living reefs — which is that the im- 

 portant offshore reefs have formed during or after submergence. 

 The contacts at the bases of fringing reefs are usually those of uncon- 

 formity, indicating that the land stood higher and was lowered before 

 the formation of reefs of this kind, but at least many of the fring- 

 ing reefs were formed during periods of intermittent emergence fol- 

 lowing submergence. 



Have the flats above which offshore reefs rise, either as patches or as 

 barriers, been formed by infilling and leveling behind the reefs, that 

 is. are they dependent on the presence of the reefs, according to the 



65133°— sm 1917 16 



