46 The Irish Naturalist. [February, 



place frequently during this time, is clearly expressed. The paper will 

 be read with interest not only by the student of geology, but also by 

 the general reader who would know and understand the " record of the 

 rocks " in Co. Waterford. 



In the next paper, read before the Geological Societ}', the author 

 discusses the question as to the age of certain red sandstones, shales, 

 and conglomerates which occur on the coast of Co. Waterford near 

 Bunmahon. From 1833 these rocks have been the subject of much 

 discussion, for while some believed them to belong to the Old Red 

 Sandstone period, others considered them to be Ordovician, while later 

 observers have suggested that thej^ may be Silurian. Our author has 

 endeavoured to decide the question, and has thoroughly examined the 

 rocks, and also the structure of the surrounding area. 



The result of his investigations he gives in this paper, in which are 

 detailed the observations he has made, and the deductions he draws 

 therefrom. As a preliminary observation he points out that the Old 

 Red Sandstone forms here a kind of elliptical ring round the Ordovician, 

 being evidently the remains of an elongated dome now.denuded away. Mr. 

 Reed states that the southern portion of this ring is beneath the present 

 sea-level, and he believes that the red beds at Bunmahon are fragments 

 of it. 



It is noted that the rocks in question have not shared in the general 

 crushing and faulting of the Ordovicians, being comparative!}- undis- 

 turbed, and in some cases, thatthebasallayer of these rocks is frequently 

 a breccia of fragments of the underlying rocks. A suggestion is put 

 forward which might explain the present position of the rocks under 

 consideration, and it is shown how an examination of the Bunmahon 

 mass proves it to be bounded on each side by faults, which may be 

 distinctly traced in the field. Mr. Reed considers that all the evidence 

 goes to indicate that the red rocks in this locality are inliers of the Old 

 Red Sandstone formation, which is extensively developed in other parts 

 of the county, and that they have been brought down b}^ cross-faulting 

 into their present position amongst the Ordovician rocks. 



The final paper is the first of a series which its author intends to 

 prepare on the " Fauna of the Ordovician beds of County Waterford." 

 In this paper the fossiliferous rocks which are exposed near Castletown. 

 at Quilla, and Pickardstown, and at Newtown Cave are singled out for 

 description. " They have been examined with a view to establish a 

 definite base-line which has previously been wanting in descriptions of 

 these rocks." In the beginning of the paper the author gives four 

 reasons for dissenting from what he calls the confusing statement made 

 by practically all previous observers, viz., that a mixture of Llandeilo 

 and Bala fossils is found in these beds and elsewhere in Ireland, and that 

 the principles of classification followed in Great Britain are not applicable. 

 He feels convinced that one reason amongst others for this statement is 

 the erroneous identification of the fossils, and states that one fossil from 

 Quilla and Pickardstown was wrongly identified as Phacops Brongniarti^ 

 being really Phacops Jamcsi. It also apj^ears that the list of graptolites 

 compiled for the Survey Memoir as collected from locality 21 is mis- 



