1904. 



A SHORT NOTE ON THE FORAMINIFERA OF THE 



LARNE DISTRICT. 



BY GEORGE C. 'GOUGH, A.R.CSC, F.G.S. 



As most of the readers of this Journal know, the Ulster 

 Fisheries and Biology Association is undertaking the deter- 

 mination of the Flora and Fauna of Earne Eough and the 

 adjacent sea. Mr. Wright, F.G.S. , the well-known authority 

 on the Foraminifera, being unfortunately too busj^ to examine 

 the material dredged, it has fallen to my lot to determine the 

 .species present. I am happy to say that Mr. Wright is giving 

 me invaluable assistance in many ways. My first report 

 having been presented to the Council of the Association, it 

 may not be out of place to give a short abstract, especially as 

 it records a foraminifer new to Britain. 



Although it is yet too early to give a definite account of the 

 Order as found at Earne, yet the fact that 59 species have been 

 found in three samples already examined, shows that it is 

 well represented. As one might expect, most of the species 

 are common around our coasts, and call for no special mention, 

 but amongst the less common ones Opthalmidium carinatiim^ 

 Balk, and Wright ; Gaudryina 7'udis, Wright ; Hyperainmma 

 arboresce7is (Norman); and Lagena aspera, Reuss, ma}^ be 

 cited. The first three are rare or absent elsewhere but on the 

 Irish coast. 



The rarest specimen found however is one oiBulima elongata^ 

 d'Orb., which is new to British seas, but which has been 

 recorded by Brady from two other localities, viz., North 

 Atlantic (630 fths.) and South Atlantic (1425 fths.). Bulima 

 elongaia is very like B. pzipoides, but differs from it in that 

 the later chambers are much smaller than in B. pttpoidcs and 

 are all about the same size, giving a more even appearance 

 to B. elo?igata. 



Taken as a whole the Foraminifera in the Lough itself are 

 not good specimens of their kinds, far better examples being 

 found in the adjacent open sea. It may also be noted that 

 the lough itself has yielded so far very few arenaceous forms 

 these being much more plentiful in the open sea. 



