138 AN EXPEDITION TO CHRISTMAS ISLANDS 



waterfall, Dr. Hanitsch finding quantities of interesting speci- 

 mens did not go as far. The walk about five miles is very 

 picturesque. After passing through the Settlement one rises 

 across two raised reefs, past the tram line which conveys the 

 phosphate to the tip whence it travels by overhead wires to 

 the wharf, and above the first reservoir arrives at the plateau. 

 Here the flora is quite different from that of the reefs, or 

 terraces as Andrews calls them. The seashore trees Guettarda, 

 Gyrocarpus, Berrya, Kleinhovia disappear together with the Abu- 

 tilons, Croton caudatus, Acronychia etc. The plateau forest 

 chiefly consists of Eugenia, Barringtonia, Pisonia, Cryptocarya 

 Sideroxylon, while Randia, Saprosma, Corymbis, Ardisia and 

 ferns form the undergrowth. The soil is dark brown and pow- 

 dery, but here and there masses of coral reef protrude. The 

 big crab, Birgus Latro and the smaller burrowing red crab, 

 Gecarcinus are very abundant. Sea birds are absent 



though occasionally they may be seen crossing above the forest. 

 The large pigeon Carpophaga is abundant and its cooings can 

 be heard far and wide. The hawk, (Astur) is frequently seen, 

 and the ground pigeon Ckalcophaps and the thrush are abun- 

 dant. Whiteeyes Zosterops, the swift Collocalia and in the 

 evening the smallbats only occur along the cleared tracks, and 

 in more open places. The lizards too do not frequent the 

 shadier parts of the forest. i 



After crossing the plateau one descends a steep slope to 

 an open flat spot above the sea where are a few native houses 

 for the men employed at the pumping station by which the 

 water is pumped in iron tubes to the Settlement along the 

 track. The water comes out abundantly flowing as it seems 

 always to do from spots where the coral reef overlies the 

 basalt. There are three more small streams along the coast to 

 the north. Where the water comes out of the rock a small 

 pool has been made in which are numerous small freshwater 

 crabs and prawns, not previously recorded from the Island. 

 The flora of this point includes numerous plants not met with 

 on the other coast — -Galophyllum inophyllum big trees with 

 more straight and tall stems than one usually sees, Ochrocarpus 

 o.valifolius, Wedelia, Cyperus pennatus, a shrub suspiciously 



Jour. Straits Branch 



