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MK. A. E. FINCKH. 



attention. All methods that could be devised were adopted to obtain some idea as 

 to its rat© of gro^\■th. One experiment, however, the starting point of which was 

 a mere accident, proved so successful as to cause all others to be abandoned. It gave 

 all the information desired. 



One of the boards employed as supports for the corals under observation had a 

 number of holes bored through in order to decrease its buoyancy. On lowering it 

 one day it was accidentally allowed to rest on a cluster of Halimeda. Shortly 

 afterwards it was noticed that a small branch of this seaweed was protruding through 

 one of the holes. The board was then allowed to remain in that position for six 



Fiji. I'.i. -Six weeks" "-ruwlli of llalnnvilo. 



weeks, at the end of which time tliis branch had produced on the board, above the 

 hole, a cluster of Halimeda some 3 inches in height and of an equal thickness. On 

 drying, the piece represented 14 '38 grammes of calcareous matter. This remarkably 

 rajjid growth seems quite to agree with the presence, discovered during the lagoon 

 borings, of the enormous beds of Halimeda remains in the lagoon. 



As regards the corals, the rate of growth noted is considerable enough to be 

 appreciable from year to year, indeed large enough to cause constant alterations in 

 the contour and the size of coral islands. Yet, so far as can be ascertained, no changes, 

 due to such growth, have taken place on Funafuti or on any of the islands of 

 the Ellice or Gilbert groups since their discovery. In regard to this apparent 

 contradiction the follo\ving explanation might be given : — Every species of coral, like 



