KEPOIiT ON iNFATERIALS FKO>[ THE BORINGS AT FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 'Mb 



(L. 14r-L. 1-I-a) [463]. llG-144 feet. Fragments of the same whitish, hard, rnlibly limestone as in the 

 beds immediately above. Some of the fragments aie pieces of corals, in others no structure can be seen 

 ^^nth a lens. The corals are usually M'ell-preserved, but in some instances they are decomposed and 

 crumble between the fingers. Mr. Bernard has determined an Astraean, genus uncertain, a single fungid, 

 two species of Madrcpmxt, one common, v.'ith the branches in fair preservation, showing axial and radial 

 corallites, Avith ecenenchj'ma and sometimes surface striation. 3ftmfipOT(i, (roniopom and yt^trri'ojioya, of 

 which there are many fragments. 



In the same sample there were also many brokeii pieces of IIelii)[torii' rii-nilrd, m a bleache<l condition and 

 greatly perforated by Clinna. The foraniinifera include I'hmorhnlina, (rliibif/'rinti, Calniriiia, (iiipsin((, 

 Polyfreina jilanum, Anijil/ixfcfpna and Hr'ft'rosft'f/ina. A microscopic section of a piece of the rock shoM's 

 that the structure of the foraniinifera is well preserved, they are embedded in very fine consolidated 

 sedimentary material, A\hich apparently consists of the debris of these oiganisnis and spicules of Lpptorlinniii. 

 Echinid spines, polyzoa, llicciiho, lamellibranchs (including IJthoihunix) and gastropods. Hali)ii/'ihi-]o\nts, 

 retaining their minute sti'ucture, and Liflujfliumnion. 



(L. 14e) [464-465]. 116-144 feet. The i-ock fragments are generally very similar to the preceding 

 (L. 14), but the rock is of a harder character ; it consists chieflj' of corals, foraniinifera and Lithotlinninimi, 

 &c. At a rough estimate about half the rock, as shown in the sample, consists of corals. They belong to 

 Seriatopai-a, Forillopom, Fungia, Madrepm-a (chiefly fragments of sub-cylindrical branches, 10-20 millims. 

 in length hy 6-8 millims.. in thickness), Montipwa and Astrn'Opo'ra. A portion of a stem of Lobophytum, 

 measuring 27 by .32 by 7 millims., is shown with the spicules standing out on the surface. Foraminifera 

 are fairly numerous ; those recognisable with a lens Ijelong to Jmphisfegina and Hffcroafeginn. Halrmfdu, 

 common, and LifJwfJwninion, showing in microscopic sections the structure very distinctly. 



A striking feature of the boring beneath the floor of the lagoon is the large amount 

 of the calcareous alga, Halimeda opuntia, var. mncropus, in the upper half of the 

 boring. To a depth of over 60 feet the beds are principally composed of the detached 

 joints of this alga, which ai'e, judging from the samples, quite fi'ee, and not cemented 

 together in any way. With the II( (limed a there is a small proportion of foraminifera, 

 corals and fragments of other organisms. Between 62 and 80 feet the amount of 

 Flalimeda diminishes to about one-half, and the joints in this portion are no longer 

 free, but cemented by calcite, together with foraminifera, into rubbly rock. At the 

 level of 94 feet and to the bottom of the boring the Halimeda forms only a slight 

 percentage of the rock ; at the lower levels the minute structure is retained as a rule 

 almost unchanged. There is no close parallel in the other borings at Funafuti to 

 these Halimeda deposits beneath the lagoon ; although some parts of the Main Boring, 

 between 637 and 748 feet from the surface, chiefl}'^ consist of Halimeda and 

 foraminifera, the relative amount of the former is much less than in the Lagoon Boring. 



The character of the rock in the lower 50 feet of the Lagoon Boring does not differ 

 much from that in the higher part of the IMain Boring. The same organisms are 

 present in both, and the corals and foraminifera in the Lagoon Boring are better 

 preserved and less altered than those at corresponding depths in the ]\iain Boring. 



(7) Notes on the Organisms from the Funafuti Borings. 



The organisms which form by far the larger mass of the core materials from the 

 ditt'erent borings at Funafuti belong to foraminifera, corals, and calcareous algae, while 



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