76 PROFESSOR T. W. EDGEWORTH DAVTD AND MR. G. SWEET. 



The (lei^osit L.9.B. is formed for the most part of Foraminifera, amongst which 

 Orhitolites, Tinoporus and Amphistegina predominate, together witli fragments of 

 Lithothamnion, and joints of Halimeda. The LitUothamnion sand is more plentiful on 

 the western side of the atoll than on the eastern. As already pointed out by one of 

 us, Cal carina is abundant, together with Tinoporus haculatus, at the islet of 

 Motungie. Along the lagoon shores at the southern end of the atoll, the small 

 lamellibranch, Cardium fragum, is so abundant that it constitutes nearly one-half of 

 the beach sand. T'lnoporiis haculatus, however, forms the Inilk of the sand in that 

 area. At the southern end of the atoll, the whole of the islands are being removed, 

 the sand being driven further and further on to the neighboiu'ing portions of the 

 lagoon platform. One of us (Mr. Sweet) is of opinion that the transference of 

 material at that locality only needs to continue for some time, and a new sand island 

 will be formed at that end of the lagoon. 



The Hurricane Bank, O.4., is formed chiefly of torn-up fragments of the breccia 

 pavement, together with fragments of corals, millepores, and Lit hoth amnion. 'J'his 

 material is coarse and jagged above the level of higli water, and, being more or less 

 covered with black lichen, has the aspect of a bank of basaltic scoriae. The fragments 

 are from a few inches up to 1 or 2 feet in diameter. The Hurricane Bank eitlier 

 rests directly on the breccia sheet, 0.2.1)., or on some of the older lagoon deposits, 

 sucli as L.G, L. 7.A., &c. Though developed chiefly on tlie ocean side of the islands, 

 a Hurricane Bank is also found in many places on the lagoon side of the eastern rim, 

 especially in exposed positions like that of Funamanu and Funangongo, north of 

 the Bua-Bua Passage, and at Falefatu and Mateika, to the south of the said jjassage. 

 It forms the highest laud in the atoll, that near the south-west end of Telele, 

 where it rises 16 feet above high water. The material of the Hurricane Bank, 

 like the older lagoon material, shows terracing in places, as at tlie nortli end of the 

 islet of Fuafatu. (See Plate IG, and Section ].) 



The outer angle of slope of the Hurricane Bank is steep, being at IS^'-SO", while 

 inland the dip is more gradual, at about 10". Inland it passes downwards into a 

 " clinker field," of highly corroded fragments, which in turn blend with the solution 

 area of the breccia sheet 0.2. A. The general appearance of this inner part of the 

 Hmricane Bank is shown (in the following figure (fig. 1 8, from a photograph l)y 

 Mr. Sweet). A point of sjDecial interest is the occurrence of a thin, but very persistent 

 band of pumice j^ebbles, interstratified with the upper part of the Hurricane Bank. 

 There can be little doubt that these were derived from the great eruption at Blanche 

 Bay, in New Britain, in 1878. The local trader at Funafuti, the late Mr. O'Brien, 

 told us, that during that year the Funafuti Lagoon, in places, was covered with rafts 

 of floating pumice. The pumice layer in the Hurricane Bank is mostly from 

 5|- to 6 feet above high water (see Plate 9, Section 10), and it is interesting 

 to note that the ordinary material, to a thickness of 2 to 3 feet, has been piled 

 over the top of this layer of pumice since the date of its arrival. This was often 



