191 7- Praeger — Arhuti Corona. 27 



proper that Kerry plants should have a volume to them- 

 selves, and in Dr. Scully's book they find certainly a noble 



shrine. 



R. Ll. p. 



EARTHQUAKE OR LANDSLIP? 



BY R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D., M.R.^.A. 



Bog-slides as well as land-slips near the coast have 

 been observed in Ireland, but I am not aware of slow 

 movements of the soil having ever been noticed or recorded 

 in Ireland. The curious phenomenon that I wish to bring 

 under the notice of the readers of the Irish Naturalist 

 may not be due to this cause. It may possibly be due 

 to a local earthquake, but it seems to me more probably 

 the result of a land-slip. 



Heavy rains had been falling during October followed 

 by another severe rainfall on the 3rd November last. On 

 the night of the latter date two of my clocks suddenly 

 stopped at ten minutes to eleven, while three other clocks 

 went on as before. The latter are placed with the 

 pendulum swinging in the direction from north to south, 

 whereas the two which stopped are fixed in the direction 

 west to east. My house, I may mention, is built on the 

 slope of Carrigoona Mountain in Co. Wicklow. It stands 

 on a concrete foundation which rests on about 20-30 feet 

 of boulder clay and sand. Underneath this comes the 

 quartzite rock of this district. 



The clocks had both been keeping excellent time. 

 Besides the fact of their both stopping at precisely the same 

 time indicates that the stoppage was produced by the 

 same cause, which could only have been a shaking of the 

 house in the direction of the slope of the ground, which 

 is eastward. No indications, other than that alluded to, 

 were noticeable to prove that such had been the case. 

 I assumed, nevertheless, that a landslip had taken place. 

 I should be glad to hear any observations on the subject 

 from anyone interested in the matter, 



Knockranny, Bray. 



