366 Of the Bogs in Ireland. 



" There are many, we believe, who consider the bogs of 

 Ireland to be low and marshy tracts of country not very dis- 

 similar in their composition from the fens of Lincolnshire: 

 others, aware that the substance of which they are formed 

 greatly differs from that of the fen districts, attribute ne- 

 vertheless the origin of both to pretty nearly the same 

 causes ; while an opinion, more prevalent, and perhaps not 

 less erroneous than either of the foregoing, attributes their 

 formation to fallen forests, which are supposed at some 

 former period to have covered these districts, and to have 

 been destroyed either by the effects of time, or by hostile 

 armies in the early wars of Ireland. 



" The facts stated in Mr. Griffith's report are obviously 

 inconsistent with any of these suppositions; the bogs which 

 he has surveyed being every where in elevated situations, 

 and the trees which have hitherto been so constantly found 

 buried in the edges of these bogs, where alone it is probable 

 they have generally been sought for, are very rarely to be 

 found in the interior parts at least of this district. 



" Without entering in this report into any inquiry as to 

 the origin of peat bogs, we are however anxious to give to 

 such persons as have not had an opportunity of examining 

 them, some idea of the general appearances which they 

 actually present. 



" It appears from Mr. Griffith, that each of the four bogs 

 included in the subject of his report, is a mass of the pe- 

 culiar substance called peat, of the average thickness of 

 25 feet, no where less than twelve, nor found to exceed 42; 

 this substance varying materially in its appearances and 

 properties, in proportion to the depth at which it lies : 

 on the upper surface, covered with moss of various species, 

 and, to the depth of about ten feet, composed of a mass of 

 the fibres of similar vegetables in different stages of decom- 

 position proportioned to their depth from the surface, ge- 

 nerally however too open in their texture to be applied to 

 the purposes of fuel : below this generally lies a light black- 

 ish brown turf, containing the fibres of moss still visible, 

 though not perfect, and extending to a further depth of 

 perhaps ten feet under this. In the instance exhibited in 

 the section at the close of Mr. Griffith's report, are found 

 small branches and twigs of alder and birch, but we do not 

 understand him as being of opinion that such is by any 

 means generally the case : at a greater depth the fibres of 

 vegetable matter cease to be visible, the colour of the turf 

 becomes blacker, and the substance much more compact, 

 its properties as fuel more valuable, and gradually increas- 

 ing 



