TARITARI. 259 



lead into the lagoon (PI. 224, fig. 4), flanked on the north and south with 

 numerous coral patches and shoals, through which a depth of from ten to 

 twelve fathoms can be carried to the anchorage, immediately to the north 

 of the village of Butaritari (PI. 151, figs. 1-3). 



The northern face consists of a narrow reef flat passing gradually into 

 the shallow waters of the eastern part of the lagoon ; a few islands widely 

 separated are situated on the face of the wide eastern reef flat. 



The atoll of Taritari has, off its northeastern point, a small satellite, 

 Little Makin Island, distant not quite two miles ; it is a coral reef flat sur- 

 mounted with three or four low islands (PL 224, fig. 4). 



The reef flat at the eastern extremity of Taritari is of great width 

 (PI. 224, fig. 4) ; its outer edge is well marked by huge blocks of beach rock 

 conglomerate and of coral shingle, with low islets running into the lagoon 

 at right angles to the trend of the eastern reef flat. The eastern part of 

 the lagoon, adjoining the wide reef flat, is evidently shallow, judging from 

 the light green color of the water. The existence of the islets along the 

 eastern edge and in the horn forming the eastern point shows that they 

 probably are secondary islets, and that the whole of this part of Tari- 

 tai'i will soon become an extensive flat upon which vegetation may arise. 

 The outer edge of the eastern horn is flanked by a steep dam of black coral 

 shingle forming a narrow barrier which may eventually become cut up into 

 islands and islets (see PI. 158). This mode of formation of a land rim on 

 the very edge of the reef platform, where a shingle beach may reach a 

 height of four to five feet, we have not noticed before. The only other case 

 I have observed is that above the central part of the east coast of Taritari, 

 where a shingle ledge islet has been tlirown up directly across a gap or bay 

 on the very outer edge of the reef flat (PI. 157, fig. 2). In this case it is 

 only a din)inutive islet, while in the former case an extensive arc is formed 

 by a steep coral shingle beach which extends for a great length on the edge 

 of the reef flat, and protects the lagoon from the encroachments of the sea. 

 The little islands and islets found on the horn (PI. 224, fig. 4) are all more 

 or less parallel to the outer reef dam ; they have undoubtedly been formed 

 as spits much as they have been described for so many other atolls of the 

 Gilbert and of the Ellice Islands. 



