116 MX. 0. "NY. ANDREWS AND OTOEES OS THK [Feb. 20, 



The shores of Christmas Island are singularly unfavourable for 

 the collection of marine animals ; except in a very few localities, the 

 coast-line is formed by vertical or overhanging cliffs, the base of 

 which is washed by the heavy ocean swell, so that the narrow shelf 

 of fringing reef, which is submerged to a depth varying from a few 

 feet to several fathoms, is unapproachable from the land side, and, 

 except along the north coast in very calm weather, is very difficult 

 of access from a boat. Nevertheless, the examination of this reef 

 and of the submarine slopes of the island between N.E. and 

 N.W. Points, and the collection of their fauna, where possible, 

 would no doubt yield very interesting results, and it might be 

 worth the while of a marine zoologist to spend some time on the 

 island for this purpose. 



In a few localities on the east coast and at Flying Fish Cove, a 

 narrow reef-flat, like that of an atoll, is exposed at low water, and 

 it is from this in the latter locality that nearly all the specimens 

 mentioned below were obtained. In this place an area about a 

 quarter of a mile long and from fifty to a hundred yards wide 

 is exposed at low tide. Its outer edge forms a slightly raised rim 

 of rocks thickly coated with pink and red calcareous alga?, and 

 is cleft here and there by deep narrow channels. Within 

 this raised rim the reef- flat forms a hard concrete-like floor 

 composed of cemented fragments of corals, larger blocks of 

 which lie loose upon its surface. Here and there are shallow 

 pools of water, some of which are choked with thick clumps of 

 small branching Madrepores (e. g., M. claihrata, M. valida, 

 M. aspera), the tops of which are exposed to the air for a con- 

 siderable time between the tides. In some of these pools also there 

 are extensive patches of a pinkish-grey, leathery Alcyonarian (Sarco- 

 phyton ). Most of the Corals obtained were from these pools or from 

 the sides of the deeper channels near the edge of the reef. The 

 reef is interrupted near the middle of the bay by a boat-channel 

 with a sandy bottom running up to the beach, and it was from 

 sand taken from about 11 fathoms in this channel that the 

 Foraminifera described by Mr. F. C. Chapman were obtained. 



The reef-flat seems on the whole rather barren of life. The 

 swiftly running shore-crabs (Qrapms maculatus), which skim over 

 the rocks like leaves driven by the wind, and two Holothurians, 

 the smaller quite black, the larger olive-brown, are the most 

 conspicuous objects. In the pools are numerous small fish, 

 including a little Perioplithalmvs which jumps from stone to stone 

 with great activity. 



The Crustaceans and Echinoderms determined by Mr. R. I. 

 Pocock and Prof. Jeffrey Bell are : — 



Crustaceans : — Aetata nodulosa, Eriphia Icevimanus, Actceodes 

 tomentosus, Lophozozymus sp., Daira perlata, Chlorodhis^., Calcinus 

 elegans, C. tibicen, Anieulvs typicus, Stenopus hisp>idus, Pencms sp. ; 

 there is also a large cray-fish which is used for food, but of which 

 unfortunately no specimen was brought back. 



Echinoderms : — Linekia miliaris, L. diplax, Nardoa tuberculata, 



