82 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Swiney Lectures. 



Dr. Traquair gave his third course of 12 lectures on the 

 Swiney Foundation during October, his subject on this occasion 

 being "The Palaeontology of Great Britain." The lectures 

 were again delivered, by permission of the Lords of the 

 Committee of Council on Education, in the theatre of the 

 South Kensington Museum, and were attended by an average 

 of 132 persons per lecture, as compared with 127 in the 

 preceding year. 



Dr. Traquair has been appointed Lecturer on this foundation 

 for a further term of two years. 



Christmas Island Ex'pedition. 



Mr. C. W. Andrews left England on his expedition to 

 Christmas Island on May 4th, 1897, and reached Batavia on 

 June 7th. There, owing to the non-arrival of Mr. G. Clunies 

 Ross's yawl, a delay of some weeks occurred, and it was not 

 till July 22nd that he sailed for Christmas Island, where he 

 arrived on the morning of July 29th. 



Collecting was at once begun and carried on in conjunction 

 with the exploration of the island, which was traversed in 

 many directions. The examination of its structure led to the 

 following conclusions : — ■ 



(1.) The island is a raised atoll, the highest point of which 



is now between 1,100 and 1,200 feet. 

 (2.) This height has been attained by several distinct 

 elevations. During the intervals between these the 

 sea has cut back the shores into cliffs, while a fringing 

 reef formed round the island, growing out on the 

 debris which was heaped up round the coast. 

 (3.) The longest interval of rest seems to have been that 

 during which the first inland cliff was formed, 

 it being highest and most persistent I'ound the 

 coast. (This cliff may perhaps be the result of more 

 than one elevation.) 

 (4.) The base upon which the atoll islands rested is mainly 

 of hard white limestone of Miocene age, with many 

 foraminif era and few traces of corals. This limestone 

 itself rests on a base formed by alternations of basalt, 

 tuffs and foraminiferal limestone. 

 It is only in a few places that the internal structure is 

 visible, since for the most part it is concealed by more recent 

 limestones that have accumulated before and during its 

 elevation. A large number of specimens illustrating the 

 geological structure of the island were collected. 



The island is covered from sea to sea by dense forest. 

 This in most places consists of large trees interspersed with 

 undergrowth and often covered with ferns, &c., but near the 

 edge of the sea cliff, and in many places in the interior, 

 there is a thick and ftlmpst impenetrable jungle consisting 



