136 MR. A. E. FINCKH. 



Expeditions of 1897 and 1898, shows that its occurrence on the seaward slope is rare, 

 and that, as regards its present distribution at Funafuti, it is a lagoon rather than an 

 ocean coral. 



The same predominating character of Heliopora ccerulea* was observed on the home 

 voyage of the Expedition in the lagoon of the atoll of Onoatoa, in the Gilbert group, 

 the only other lagoon island examined by the writer. At the four Gilbert islands 

 visited which have no lagoons, not a single case of Heliopora cctrulea on the slopes, 

 near the landing places, was noticed. 



(/>) The Hydrocorallinse are the next in importance. Of these the branching form 

 MiUepora alcicornis is largely represented in the lagoon, and is not restricted to any 

 particular part thereof It ^^'as not observed on the ocean slopes or ocean platforms 

 except quite close to the true passages, in which it w^as very abundant. M. comjyianata, 

 the more massive of the two, is still more widely distributed, but does not occur in 

 patches of any extent. The eastern ocean face of the reef platform, as far as to the 

 northern passage w^est of the islet of Pava, was tlie oidy place in which it was seen 

 in considerable ridge-like masses. 



(c) Of the Porites family both the yellow Porites limosa and the purple Porites (? sp.) 

 came imder this category, But with the exception of the lagoon platform of the 

 main island they w^ere not seen to form large continuous masses. As small pancake- 

 shaped coralla they are fairly frequent on all portions of the reef platforms ; small 

 colonies are always found on the shoals. They w^ere Tiot noticed to occur on the 

 ocean slopes. The immense numbers and size of the l)locks of dead Pontes 

 occurring on the S.W. ]K>rtion of the atoll are specially noticed in the geological 

 report. 



(d) Madrepora loripes, Brook, was specially abmidant, as already stated, on the 

 western rim of the atoll near Fualopa, &c. It and the remaining coral-forms are 

 insignificant as reef formers. 



(e) Pocillopora ccBspitosa, Dana, as already mentioned by Mr. C. Hedley,! was 

 abundant in the shallow water of the lagoon on its eastern side, while Pocillopora 

 grandis, P. verrucosa, and P. clavaria were not infrequent on the ocean face of the 

 eastern side of the atoll. 



P. paucistellata was fairly numerous in the shallow water of the lagoon on the 

 eastern side of the atoll. Among other reef- forming types the astrsean corals seemed 

 of far less importance at Funafuti than at most other coral reefs. 



Distichopora, which in some reefs is sufficiently numerous to rank as a reef former, 

 was not found by me alive in any dredgings at Funafuti. Mr. Hedley records;]: the 



* Messrs. David WoOLNOUGH hikI Poole observed on their visit to Nukulailai (the .itoU next south of 

 Funafuti) in 1897 that Hcliopm-a ccerulea was very widely distributed at that atoll also, being far the most 

 important reef-forming organism there among the corals. 



t Australian Museum, Sydney. Memoir III. ' The Atoll of Funafuti,' I'art 6, p. ;352. 



J Loc. cit., Part 8, p. 531. 



