ON CORAL REEFS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. 363 



Coral Reefs of the Indian Regions. — Second Report of the Committee, 

 consisting of Mr. A. Sedgwick (Chairman), Mr. J. Graham Kerr 

 (Secretary), Professor J. W. Judd, Mr. J. J. Lister, and Dr. S. F. 

 Harmer, appointed to investigate the Structure, Formation, and 

 Groivth of the Coral Reefs of the Indian Region. 



The Committee have received the following report from Mr. J. Stanley 

 Gardiner : — 



During the greater part of the year I have been engaged single- 

 handed in sorting and properly labelling the marine collections from the 

 Lacoadive and Maldive Archipelagoes. This is now completed, and 

 they are divided into groups, each with our notes as to localities, 

 depths, ifec. 



For more than thirty of the groups I have been promised the services 

 of various zoologists in this country. About half of these have already 

 received their collections, and I hope to forward the remainder shortly. 

 I have, up to the present, received reports from Mr. P. Cameron 

 (Hymenoptera, 25 species, 16 new), Mr. R. C. Punnett (Nemerteans, 

 12 species, 9 new), Mr. Ed. Meyrick (Lepidoptera, 66 species, 4 new), 

 Mr. F. F. Laidlaw (Reptilia), and Mr. Oldlield Thomas (Mammalia). In 

 addition, Mr. Borradaile has sent me a complete memoir on the Land 

 Crustaceans, and I have prepared a great part of my report on the struc- 

 ture, formation, and growth of the reefs. The land flora of the group 

 has now been worked out, and a complete report on it will shortly be 

 published by Mr. J. C. Willis and myself in the ' Journal ' of the Pere- 

 deniya Gardens, Ceylon. 



The collections so far seem to justify the conclusions, drawn in my 

 last report, as to their completeness. Dr. David Sharp, who has taken 

 charge of the insect collections, has expressed considerable satisfaction 

 both as to their exhaustiveness and state of preservation, and Professor 

 Hickson writes as follows : ' There is quite enough to show the general 

 character of the shallow water fauna (Alcyonaria, 0-50 fathoms), and it 

 is not probable that many new species will be found in this region after 

 the collection has been worked out.' 



Publication, in view of the large number of new species, is an extremely 

 diflicult matter, especially as it seems very desirable that the reports 

 should be kept together. I may draw attention to the general opinion 

 expressed at the International Congress of Zoology (1898) as to the 

 desirability of properly illustrating new species wherever possible. The 

 University Press (Cambridge) have undertaken the publication in a 

 series of eight quarto parts, each of about 120 pages, on the condition 

 that they are not called upon to expend more than 200^. on illustrating 

 the work. It is calculated that at least seventy plates and 150 text-figures 

 would be required to adequately illustrate the fauna and geography. 

 These cannot be prepared in a suitable manner for less than 450/., and I 

 would ask your assistance towards the additional 250/. i-equired. 



The Committee seek reappointment. 



