1868.] ATKIN — NEW HEBRTDES AND BANKS's ISLANDS. 305 



the Devonian and earlier Palaeozoic rocks covered with Glacial drift, 

 now being overspread by a marine deposit in which enormous quan- 

 tities of one species of fish, in every possible state of integrity and 

 mutilation, are mixed up with Mussels and other recent shells, Crus- 

 tacea of large dimensions, tests of Echini and other Radiata, 

 Annelids, Plants, (fee. &c. The majestic tidal wave, as it rushes 

 up the Bay of Fundy, will soon cover up these remains ; and in the 

 far distant future mayhap some geologist may speculate on the 

 causes that brought about this wholesale destruction of so many 

 fish, just as we are lost in wonder and astonishment how and by 

 what manner of means suchlike phenomena took place in many 

 instances among the Devonian and Carboniferous systems of this and 

 other continents. 



4. On YoLCANOES in tlie New Hebrides and Banks's Islands. 

 By the Rev. Joseph Atkin, of the Melanesian Mission, Norfolk Island. 



[Communicated by T. Codrington, Esq., F.Gr.S.] 

 (Abridged.) 

 Between 166° and 170° east long., and the parallels of 13° and 21° 

 south lat., is the chain of volcanic islands called the New Hebrides. 

 The Banks's are another small group to the north, and the Torres are 

 five low islands to the north-west. Of the New Hebrides, Tanna, 

 Lopevi and Ambrym are now active volcanoes ; of the Banks's Islands, 

 Santa Maria and Great Banks's Island. 



At Great Banks's Island there are boiling springs, and a great 

 number of little vents discharging hot sulplmreous vapour. At 

 Santa Maria there is only one of these. A great part of the interior 

 of the large island of Ambrym seems perfectly bare of vegetation. 

 The present volcanic action is on the east slope. No crater can be 

 seen, but all the active eruption is in a part two or three miles in 

 extent. It seems to be constant, and violently active. There does 

 not seem to have been any lava-stream recently ; but the whole 

 western coast of the island is formed of large irregular masses of 

 lava. There is a fringing reef of coral on the eastern side of Santa 

 Maria, and a short one at the north end of Ambrym. 



The Island of Lopevi is not more than two miles and a half long, 

 and is upwards of 5000* feet high ; from some points it appears as 

 a perfect cone. It was not known to be active until 1863, when its 

 peak, formerly quite sharp, appeared to have been broken off, and a 

 thin volume of smoke was going up from the top. The trees, too, 

 appeared to have been killed in divergent lines running down from 

 the top of the mountain. In 1864- it was very active ; in working 

 past it at night we had a fine view of it flames ; shooting up from the 

 crater lighted up all the top of the mountain almost every minute ; 

 and once the lip of the crater broke away, and an avalanche of hot 

 stones and ashes ran down like a stream of fire to the sea. On 

 pidling to the shore on the lee side, we saw no lava ; but very fine 



* Measured by Mr. Tilly, Master, E.N., of the ' Southern Cross.' 



