APRIL 21, .1904 | 
NATORE 
83 
Nn 
the idea that the Funafuti reefs are now very different 
from what they were when the core was being formed. 
Practically Lithothamnion, Halimeda, Heliopora, 
Millepora, Porites, Madrepora and Pocillopora are 
stated to be the only sedentary organisms of importance 
at the present day, the section being little more than 
an essay on them. We look in vain for precise 
accounts of upgrowing shoals more than two or three 
fathoms deep, of the silting up of the lagoon, and of 
the outward extension of its encircling reefs. Does the 
boring alga Cliona occur in the living reef corals, and 
do boring worms affect them ? 
The detailed account of the collections from the outer 
slope is not included in the present report, a matter 
of regret when one considers their importance in con- 
nection with the depth of formation of the core and 
As it 
with certain theories of coral reef construction. 
but the dredgings were evidently too few—the 
naturalists had only an open row boat—for deductions 
to be drawn as to the occurrence of individual species 
and genera. 
The main part of the work, that on the boring, 
appropriately commences with a general introduction 
by Prof. Judd, in whose hands its supervision was 
placed. From the main hole, 11143 feet, about 384 
feet of core was obtained. It was carefully labelled, 
and boxes of sand collected at intervals to fill up its 
gaps. From the middle of each piece of rock a slice 
was talen longitudinally, the total length of these 
being the total length of the core. These slices were 
then examined, and from all portions which presented 
difficulty microscopic sections were ground. The 
corals of much of the core being in the form of casts, a 
set of wax impressions of recent forms was made for 
TP CUinge 
Fic. 1.—The Lagoon Boring Apparatus on H.M.S. Porfoise. 
is, the general report on them forms one of the most 
interesting sections of the volume, and it is greatly 
to be hoped that the specimens will subsequently be 
deposited with the core. The face of the cliff, 40 to 
140 fathoms, is apparently composed mainly of the 
remains of the same organisms as form the shelf 
above, while the area at its base, from 140 to 200 
fathoms, is covered by-a talus of the same. A few 
true corals and some Halimeda (one piece 86 fathoms) 
were obtained below 40 fathoms, but this depth is 
considered to be about their true limit. Lithothamnion 
and Polytrema grew in abundance from the surface to 
200 fathoms, while Cycloclypeus, a foraminiferan 
sparingly present in the core between 570 and 1070 
feet, was found from 30 to 2090 fathoms. In addition 
some deep-sea corals and other organisms were secured, 
NO. 1799, VOL. 69] 
comparison. Prof. Judd personally contributes a most 
valuable article on the chemical composition of the 
core (Section xiii.), while to Dr. Hinde we owe its 
detailed examination and the elucidation of the nature 
of its organisms, with the exception of the Foramini- 
fera, assigned to Mr. Chapman (Section xi.). Lastly, 
Dr. Cullis gives a full report on its mineralogical 
changes (Section xiv.). ; 
From the surface to a depth of 748 feet only 72% feet 
of core were brought up. The first 150 feet gave 26 
feet, consisting mainly of corals and the regular reef 
organisms very little changed in any way. Deeper 
the aragonite of the corals was found to have been 
gradually dissolved, other organisms of more resistant 
structure persisting, until at about 400 feet such core 
as there is consists of cavernous limestone, formed 
