— 159 — 
In eoncluding my no*e of Ibis extraordinary place, it is worthy of remark thaj 
among>t these b'rds, there appears lo exist peculiar social hablts, and they keep 
their society quite exclusive. 
The red tailed « Paille en Queues ihe Frigate bird and ihe « Fouquet s have tbe exclu- 
sive and sole pos^ession of a R >und Island,» tbe white laiied boalswain generally iu- 
habits ßunners Qnoin and Serpent Island appears to be tbe « reudez-vous » of Ihe 
Goelette, the »Ton» and the Cordonniers. 
GEOLOGICAL NOTES. 
From the descriplion I have attenopted to give of tbe Geologica! formation of Round 
Island, together with the sketches accornpany mg ihis, and ihe specimens collected, 
I hope, Geologists may be enabied to form their own opinions. 
Wilh my very humble pretentions to no oaore than a pure love of the Science, I 
tnay be allowed to hazard a few remarks. 
To me the whole formation of Round Island appears one of the most extraordinary 
and most strikirig works of nature that I have ever visiled or read of. 
It points out in the most indelible and indestructible characiers, the vast age, and 
gives a convincing prouf to human reason of ihe immeasurable interval of time that 
has elapsed since !,his isolated rock first dated ils crealion. 
I hope I may be permitted to state too, that (bis phenomenon corroborales the 
perf. cl coincidence of Geological coriclusions of the present Age wilh the beantiful and 
unanswerable descriplion given in tbe first book of Moses, Ist Chapter 9 Verse of the 
Separation of the .sea and land during the tihr# uay, proving the truth of iheGhatdaic 
Version of that word. 
It would appear that the first origin of the formation -of Round Island, must have 
been from inlermdting eruptions of an ancient Volcano or Volcanoes beneatü the sur- 
face ol the Ocean. 
As immense quantities of lava with tufaceous sand ejected from time to time, sub- 
sided in regulär strata, surrouuding masses of compact lime stone, dolerite and other 
substances at intervals ; other eruptions failowed with the same sedimentary deposit ; 
aber a great lapse of time, the Volcano reached a consider.;b’.e height benealh the 
surface of the water and naturally ofaconical form from the subsidence of the matter. 
A eording as the superimposed slrata formed, the volcanic force becanpe giadually 
overpowei«d, and at last only a nucleous of basall remained where the great crater, 
and thront of the Volcano once existed. The vapours being pent up, tüe> may have 
exi rted their enotmous power on the whole Area and giadually upheaved the mass, 
tlltirig the previously concentric strata to different angles, disiocating and disturbing 
the surface in all directions and thereby creating fisstires, certainly of no great extent, 
but suliicient I think, to catiy out t he argumeut, I shall aliempt to follow : for I 
cannot agree with Mr, Lyell, that a volcanic coriglomerate must, of necessily, be so 
ineiastic and rigid as to admu of no Variation whatever in iis surface or form, witnout 
causing « not only large and deep cavities but irregulär openings where many rents 
converged. » 
l may perhaps be allowed to adduce in support of this view, that many most 
violent earthqu dies have orcured in formations rnuch more rigid than a Volcanic 
Cot glomerate, and altlio’ cities have been destroyed, not a single renl has been foui.d 
immediately close io the greatest destruclion, allho’ 1 am aware in most such calas- 
trophies rents and üssures are found. 
I may add in the case of Round Island that such rents at the sumni't might have 
been fnrmed, when (he Island may still have been under water, and the Vornano in 
action, so that the rents and deep cavities may have been fiiied again by the subsiding 
of the matter ejected. 
