rine
volcano standing in its present isolation, and round which the ocean
floor has probably altered but a few hundred feet since the Eocene age.
Thus although the rocks of the southern coast of Java in their general
character and succession resemble those of Christmas Island, there lies
between them an abysmal trough 18,000 ft. in depth, which renders it
scarcely possible that they were deposited in a continuous area, for
such an enormous depression of the sea-floor could hardly have occurred
since Miocene times without involving also Christmas Island. One of the
main purposes of the exploration was to obtain light on the question of
the foundation of atolls.

The flora consists of 129 species of angiosperms, 1 _Cycas_, 22 ferns,
and a few mosses, lichens and fungi, 17 of which are endemic, while a
considerable number--not specifically distinct--form local varieties
nearly all presenting Indo-Malayan affinities, as do the single _Cycas_,
the ferns and the cryptogams. As to its fauna, the island contains 319
species of animals--54 only being vertebrates--145 of which are endemic.
A very remarkable distributional fact in regard to them, and one not yet
fully explained, is that a large number show affinity with species in
the Austro-Malayan rather than in the Indo-Malayan, their nearer,
region. The ocean currents, the trade-winds blowing from the Australian
mainland, and north-westerly storms from the Malayan islands, are no
doubt responsible for the introduction of many, but not all, of these
Malayan and Australasian species. The climate is healthy, the
temperature varying from 75 deg. to 84 deg. F. The prevailing wind is the
S.E. trade, which blows the greater part of the year. The rainfall in the
wet season is heavy, but not excessive, and during the dry season the
ground is refreshed with occasional showers and heavy dews. Malarial
fever is not prevalent, and it is interesting to note that there are no
swamps or standing waters on the island.

It is not known when and by whom the island was discovered, but under
the name of _Moni_ it appears on a Dutch chart of 1666. It was first
visited in 1688 by Dampier, who found it uninhabited. In 1886 Captain
Maclear of H.M.S. "Flying Fish," having discovered an anchorage in a bay
which he named Flying Fish Cove, landed a party and made a small but
interesting collection of the flora and fauna. In the following year
Captain Aldrich on H.M.S. "Egeria" visited it, accompanied by