REPORT ON MATERIALS FROM THE BORINGS AT FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 297 



of the distance passed through. The hst below shows the distribution of the solid 

 cores in different parts of the boring : — 



List showing the Length of the Solid Cores in the first Boring " C." 



Depth from 

 surface in feet. 



Distance bored 

 in feet. 



Length of core. 



Numljsrs of 

 cores. 



1- 30 

 30- 50 

 50- 80 

 80- 85 

 85-105 



30 

 20 

 30 



5 

 20 



ft. in. 



8 

 2 3 



1 5 

 1 1 

 1 11 



C. 1-C. 5 

 C. 6-C. 15 

 C. 16-C. 22 

 C. 23^C. 28 

 C. 29-C. 36 



105 



7 4 



The cores are partly cylindrical, with a maximum diameter of nearly 3^ inches 

 (80 millims.), and partly irregular nodular lumps more or less rounded by the action 

 of the drill. The cores are often cavernous or with portions of the cylinder wanting, 

 showing that the rock in position may have been nodular rather than in continuous 

 beds, and further, the surface of the cores is frequently worn and pitted and with 

 small organisms attached, indicating a period of exposure before it was buried under 

 other sediments. 



The solid cores consist of cream-coloured, greyish-white, and in places greenish 

 limestone, usually compact and hard. The greenish portion of the rock is due to the 

 colour of Heliopora cosrulea, the original blue of which is now changed to a dirty 

 greenish tint. The cores are mainly of corals, not infrequently of part of a single 

 coral, in other cases different corals are closely grouped together, apparently growing 

 over each other. In some of the areas between the corals there is an accumulation 

 of sedimentary material, sometimes cemented by crystalline " conchite " or aragonite 

 into a compact, hard, white rock, sometimes loose and incoherent. 



The most abundant coral in the solid cores is Helioporci ccerulea, which occurs 

 throughout this boring, retaining the same characters. Another very common form 

 is a species of Orbicella, probably 0. orion, Dana, which, according to Mr. Stanley 

 Gardiner'" still exists at Funafuti. Of less frequent occurrence, there are entire or 

 fragmentary specimens of Stylophora, Pocillopora, Astrcea, Fungia, Madrejpora, 

 Montipora, Porites (?), Psammocora, Millepora, and detached alcyonarian spicules. 

 The corals, on the whole, are fairly well preserved, but their characters are often 

 obscured by the infilling of their interstices with sclerenchyma or fibrous crystals. 

 They are often extensively perforated by Cliona and other boring organisms and 

 usually encrusted by Polytrema planum and Liihothamnion. 



' Zool. Soc. Proc.,' June, 1899, p. 752. 

 2 Q 



