468 Geological Society. 



upheaval. Coral was found to the height of 1500 feet above sea- 

 level. To the north of Efate are Nguna, Pele, and Mau, of volcanic 

 origin, and no coral has been found on them above sea-level ; whilst 

 Moso, Protection, and Errataka, to the west of Efate, are of coral 

 formation and similar in character to the adjoining coast of Efate. 

 In the vicinity of the coral isles is very little coral-reef, especially 

 when the shores are steep. Delicate live corals were brought up 

 from depths of 28, 39, and 42 fathoms off Moso, 37 fathoms near 

 Mau, and 40 fathoms off Mataso. Mataso is a volcanic island with 

 a narrow fringing-reef. Makura (6 miles 1S T . of Mataso) and Mai 

 are also volcanic, with narrow f ringing-reefs partly surrounding the 

 former and entirely encircling the latter island. A short distance 

 west of Mai is Cook's Reef, of atoll formation. The Shepherd Isles 

 are all of volcanic formation, apparently recent, and no coral was 

 found growing around their shores. Mallicolo Island is of volcanic 

 and coral formation. At one place in this island coral was found at 

 a height of about 500 feet above sea-level. 



L c 



March 8th.— W. H. Hudleston, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., 



President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " On the Occurrence of Boulders and Pebbles from the Glacial 

 Drift in Gravels south of the Thames." By Horace W. Monckton, 

 Esq., F.L.S., E.G.S. 



jSTorth of the Thames near London, the Glacial Drift consists largely 

 of gravel, which is characterized by an abundance of pebbles of red 

 quartzite and boulders of quartz and igneous rock. With the ex- 

 ception of very rare boulders of quartz, the hill and valley-gravels of 

 the greater part of Kent, Surrey, and Berkshire are entirely free 

 from these materials. The author points out that the River Thames 

 is not, however, the actual southern boundary of the distribution of 

 these Glacial Drift pebbles and boulders, though the number of 

 localities where they are found in gravels south of that river is few. 

 The author describes or mentions several, of which the following 

 are the most important : — Tilehurst, Reading, Sonning, Bisham at 

 351 feet above the sea, Maidenhead, Kingston, Wimbledon, and 

 Dartford Heath. 



2. " On the Plateau-Gravel south of Reading.'' By O. A. Shrub- 

 sole, Esq., E.G.S. 



This paper contains observations on the gravel of the Easthamp- 

 stead-Yately plateau. 



The constituent elements of the gravel are described, and the 

 author notes pebbles of non-local material near Caesar's Camp, 

 Easthampstead, on the Einchampstead Ridges, and at Gallows 

 Tree Pit at the summit of the Chobham Ridges plateau. He 

 mentions instances of stones from the gravel of the plateau (described 

 in the paper) which may bear marks of human workmanship. He 

 furthermore argues that the inclusion of pebbles of non-local origin 



