1 897-] Proceedings of Irish Societies. 217 



at the Temperance Hotel. The party then proceeded past the quarr)^ of 

 ophitic olivine-dolerite to Carrick-a-Raide, where the volcanic neck and 

 the characteristic beds of ash, with included fragments of basalt, were 

 observed. The cliff scenery is here very fine and imposing, the danger 

 of the swinging bridge heightening the attraction of a coast awe-inspiring 

 in its grandeur. After this the road was taken for Ballycastle, but 

 occasional halts were made at likely botanical localities, and also to see 

 the very beautiful example of fine-grained and columnar basalt on the 

 roadside near Glenstaghy, Dinner was ready when the party reached 

 their hotel at eight o'clock. Afterwards some of the members proceeded 

 to the woods in search of moths, spending several hours wandering 

 about amongst the trees with a lantern examining different plants and 

 the sugar-smeared trunks of trees. The programme for the second day 

 took the party to Fair Head and INIurlough. A start was made shortly 

 after nine o'clock along the shore road to the sandstones' and shales 

 with coal-seams near Colliery Ba5\ Judging from the extent of the 

 shafts found some time ago, these seams were worked extensively in 

 early times, but latterly they have been altogether neglected. There is 

 now another start being made to open these mines, and the party found 

 a steam-engine and pump in full work clearing the shaft of the mine 

 not far from Bath Lodge preparatory to further work. At many sections 

 of the shales fossils were found, chiefly Stigmaria ficoides, Sphenopieris, 

 Sigillaria^ and their mode of occurrence was noted and the age of 

 the rocks w^as explained. On reaching Carrickmore the ascent of Fair 

 Head — one of the finest headlands in Ireland — was made, and extensive 

 views obtained from the summit. Passing Lough-na-Cranagh, the 

 Gray Man's Path was approached, and near this the immense and almost 

 completely detached columns of basalt were observed, whilst a fissure 

 was noted which gives promise of a change in the scenery at some future 

 time, when the overhanging rocks of this headland will go to increase 

 the enormous talus of blocks alread)' formed at the foot of the cliffs. 

 Whilst these general features were being observed, some of the naturalists 

 noted the occurrence of the Peregrine, and of Hooded Crows, which were 

 frequent all along the coast. The botanists on the descent collected 

 specimens of the Rose-root, Welsh Poppy, and Narrow-leaved Willow- 

 herb. Soon the wooded slopes of Murlough Bay came into view. On 

 reaching the shore, lunch was served at Miss Clark's cottage, after which 

 the members broke up into parties to go in search of specimens and finds, 

 and to explore the woods, which form a good collecting-ground for 

 zoologists and botanists. A shower of rain had brought out a large 

 number of the commoner species of land and fresh-water shells, which 

 were collected in abundance, whilst Helix arbusto)Ui)L was found on the 

 grassy slopes under the Chalk cliffs. Further round the coast a few 

 specimens of type and variety cincta were noted. Helix rotimdata was 

 fairly common, with a thin, fragile variety of H. nemoralis on the head- 

 lands to the east. Here the rare Helix fusca was also found among the 

 Wood-rush on the wet glen slopes, with HyaltJiia and Pupa anglica. The 

 botanists collected the Yellow Saxifrage, Brittle Bladder-fern, Mossy 



