240 bulletin: museum of co.mpakative zoology. 



The presence of the new Brazilian quarantine station might also occa- 

 sion"ully put a steam hiunch at the disposal of investigators. 



Ilbetas Point is at the southern end of the Bay of Tamandar^. 

 Here there are two coral reefs : one small one connected with the shore, 

 tlie other three hundred metres outside, separate from the shore reef, and 

 about three kilometres long. Both these reefs are uncovered at low 

 tide. The one on shore has the beach sand spread out over the top of 

 it. On the south side of Ilhetas Point the inner reef is but slightly 

 uncovered (one decimetre) at ordinary low tide. This part extends out 

 from the beach, with which it makes a low angle for three hundred 

 metres. 



These onshore coral reefs are all dead. But few living corals are 

 found in the shallow tide-pools over their surfaces, and these are the 

 hardy Porites and Favias in small heads. The bodies of the reefs are 

 solid, and their surfaces are thinly covered with seaweeds and sponges. 



South of Ilhetas Point the coral reef stands further and further out 

 from the beach, until it ends, after several small breaks, at the Caixao de 

 Una. 



Soutli of the Caixao dc Una the reef begins again in force and with 

 small breaks continues for a distance of twenty-four kilometres to the 

 Barra Grande, east of the city of Maragog^. Throughout tliis entire 

 distance the beach sands are very calcareous, often almost entirely of 

 triturated shells and corals. 



At Sao Jose Point the seaward face of the reef is less than one kilome- 

 tre out from the beach. It is one hundred metres wide on the highest 

 part and stands about two metres out of water at low tide. The top of 

 this reef is exceedingly rough and jagged and is covered with barnacles. 

 The surface is all dead save the Porites and Favias found in the tide- 

 pools. From the outer face of the reef to the shore the bottom is most of 

 the way covered with corals in patches of various sizes, the tops of which 

 are uncovered at the low spring tides. In the channels between these 

 higher portions live some corals. The channels are of all widths, from a 

 few decimetres to seventy-five metres or more. 



The corals are burned at Sao Jose for lime, and as the large solid 

 heads make better lime than the average of the reef it is probable that 

 the finer heads have been removed for this purpose. 



On the beach at Sao Jose the calcareous sands have formed a soft 

 rock full of shells and calcareous Algae. 



At the point of land next south of Eio Persinunga there is a coral reef 

 uncovered at low tide within a stone's throw of the beach, and round the 



