ANNIYEBSAET ADDEESS. 39 



to have favoured extremely the operations of denudation, by the 

 action of which the deep ravines and gullies have been scooped 

 out. The action of currents and waves has also produced great 

 changes in bays and channels between the islets along the coast ; 

 and tradition relates that the Woodin Canal, which separates 

 Xew Caledonia from Ouen Island, was thus comparatively 

 recently formed. The inhabitants of that island state that the 

 Kagou, a bird which can neither swim nor fly, came formerly 

 from the mainland to the island, where it no more exists, and (as 

 it appears) could not now exist. The Kagou {Mhynochetos jitb- 

 atus of naturalists) is one of the wingless birds so common in 

 the Pacific islands. Its constitution is somewhat akin to that of 

 the ostrich. 



The Isle of Pines, situated exactly on the prolongation of the 

 axis of New Caledonia, is the same in geological structure, and 

 Monsieur Garnier regards its isolation to be due to the removal 

 of the argillaceous and soft magnesian deposits. He also 

 explains in the same manner the separate masses of reef between 

 the two Islands, showing how the width of the bases of the 

 separate masses is gradually being undermined, and therefore, 

 in process of time, the coral will remain as the sole indication of 

 former dry land. This explanation is applicable to the north and 

 south alike, and satisfies the inquiry as to the manner in which 

 several small islands of magnesian rocks occur in the broken Kne 

 of the reefs. This consideration does not, however, interfere 

 with conclusions derived from the action of subsidence which, 

 united with denudation, has probably changed the character of 

 many tracts of land in the Pacific. It may, however, be 

 remarked, that subsequent elevation would produce narrow ridges 

 with steep sides, as is the case in Lifu, where the coral has been 

 raised in three steps or ledges. This I have shown in the papei 

 on Lifu. before-mentioned. 



Serpentine seems to be the oldest rock of this series, affecting 

 various aspects of colour and texture. " Often," says Monsieur 

 G-arnier, "it contains crystals of bronzite diallage, and almost 

 always chromate of iron." At Koe and Mont d'Or it is of a deep 



