354 



FOSSIL INFUSORIA IN IRELAND. 



I had learned from my friend and assistant in my anatomi- 

 cal demonstrations, Mr. Shaw, that during the past summer, 

 his uncle, Dr. Hunter, of Bryansford (near Newcastle), and 

 himself, had been making chemical experiments on a singu- 

 lar substance which had lately been found in that neighbour- 

 hood ; that they had proved it to be silex, but could ascertain 

 nothing farther concerning it. On showing the specimen 

 to Mr. Shaw, he at once knew it to be identical with the 

 substance which they had been examining ; I accordingly 

 requested him to write to Bryansford, and obtain all the par- 

 ticulars he could concerning it, and the following is Dr. 

 Hunter's answer. 



"I should sooner have written, but I waited to procure 

 accurate information respecting the deposit at Lough-Island 

 Reavey. l It was found on lowering the water of the lake by 

 the Bann Company, lying in considerable quantity under a 

 covering of about a foot of boggy soil. It was in a semi-fluid 

 state, of the consistence of thick mud, and could be lift- 

 ed out with a shovel. It soon dried when laid out on the 

 bank. There is also a stratum of an apparently similar sub- 

 stance found in a mountain valley to the south of Slieve Ber- 

 nagh, in the midst of the Mourne range. It cuts out and 

 shows itself on the face of a bank covered also with a stratum 

 of peaty soil. There are also detached pieces of what I con- 

 sider a similar matter occasionally found in the low parts of 

 the alluvial soil of Corrogs, of these I shall endeavour to pro- 

 cure specimens, and if possible myself inspect the place where 

 they are found, and send them to you as soon as possible." 

 44 . W, „ ( 



Magnified views of fossil infusorial remains. 



On examining many times small portions of the fossil mix- 

 ed with a little water, on a slip of glass, the whole was found 



1 This Lough is a few miles from Bryansford. 



