Marcn, T900.] 51 



THE FORAMINIFBRA OF DOG^S BAY, CONNEMARA. 



BY JOSE;pH WRIGHT, F.G.S. 



(Plate 2.) 



The September number of the Irish Naturalist for 1895 was 

 entirely devoted to an account of the excursion of the Field 

 Club Union to Galway in July of the same 3^ear. Among the 

 reports then published of the specimens collected during the 

 excursion, was one by mj^self on the Foraminifera of Dog's 

 Bay. This list was hastily prepared when a very small 

 portion only of the shore-sand had been examined, and 

 although it could not be looked on as complete, I thought it 

 best that it should appear in the same number as the other 

 reports. At the time I had hoped to have been able to 

 examine the re'maining material with little delaj^, but other 

 engagements prevented my doing so until now. 



The sand at Dog's Bay is almost entirely composed of small 

 molluscan shells, with Foraminifera, Ostracoda, and other 

 marine organisms ; it is in consequence much lighter than 

 ordinary sand. It extends for a long distance beyond high 

 water mark, being blown inland by the prevailing westerly 

 winds. 



The following list of 124 species and varieties consists for 

 the greater part of Foraminifera which are widely distributed 

 around the British coasts. Massilina secajis and Tju^icatidina 

 lobatula are the prevailing forms, the former occurring in 

 great abundance in the coarser floatings whilst the latter is 

 even still more abundant in the finer ones. 



The porcellanous Foraminifera are well represented, many 

 of the species occurring in considerable numbers. The 

 hyaline forms are however b}' far the most abundant. '^\x^La^e7icB 

 are very numerous and in great variety, twenty- two species 

 having been obtained. Polymorphince are also plentiful, some 

 of the species, as P. co77tmu7iis, P. cofupressa, and P. lactea often 

 attaining large dimensions. The Arenacea are very rare, only 

 three species having been found ; of these one specimen was 

 obtained of Valvidhia fusca, two of Haplophragmium globi- 

 geriTiifortne, and twenty of H. canaricTise. 



Lage7ia acuticosta^ MilioIi7ia circular is, and Polystomella 77iacella 

 are new to the British fauna, and Gaudryiria rudis is new to 

 science. The following species have been hitherto recorded 

 in the British Isles only from the west coast of Ireland ; they 



A 



