3o8 The Irish NaturalhL November, 



An observation on p. 82 as to the occurrence of " beds of Middle Lias " at 

 Ballintoy seems to us to require further explanation. The blocks discovered 

 in 1870 by Mr. Wm. Gray, and described by Professor Tate {Quart. Jour u. 

 Geo/. Soi: London, vol. xxiv., p. 324), have been generally referred to the 

 Drift ; but Mr. Phillips is probably in possession of information respecting- 

 the bed iu situ, and a statement of his evidence would have been valuable 

 in a case o^ so much importance. Professor Tate, like Messrs. SoUas and 

 Praeger, was inclined to assign the Middle Lias fossils found in the Irish 

 Drift to the Inner Hebrides, rather than to a local source. 



However, the points commented on above are minor faults, and the reader 

 will find in Mr. Phillips's article a very good account of the geology of the 

 north-east of Ireland. 



Turning next to Botany, which occupies forty-two pages, we find Mr. 

 Praeger responsible for Flowering Plants and Vascular Cryptogams, Mr. 

 Waddell for Mosses, Hepatics, Fungi (including Lichens) and fresh-water 

 Algae ; and Mr. Henry Hanna for the marine Algae. The phanerogamic 

 flora of this area is as well known as that of any in Ireland, and this has 

 allowed the comparative method to be largely followed. Thus we have 

 a local analysis of plants of Watson's "types," and also of the types which 

 Mr. Praeger has recently proposed for Ireland ; and comparisons of the 

 Antrim with the Down flora, and of each with that of the adjacent counties. 

 In the annotated list of rarer plants which concludes this section, we miss 

 Carex irrigua, one of the most interesting recent additions to the Antrim 

 flora, but the plant is referred to earlier in the article. Tyrella, given as 

 the station for Ckara polyacantha, is apparently a slip for Rathmullan. Mr, 

 Waddell's chapteron the Mosses and Hepatics is excellent; the Fungi he treats 

 cursorily, as becomes our slight acquaintance with them in the district ; the 

 fresh-water Algae are also briefly disposed of ; the Lichens are more fuUv 

 dealt with. Mr. Hanna's contribution on the marine Algae is meagre ; we 

 should have liked to see a more full account of the group in which he has 

 done such good local work. 



Ninety-five pages are devoted to Zoology. The Vertebrates are treated 

 oi by Robert Patterson ; the various groups of Invertebrates have been 

 wisely divided up among various workers, and the initials of nine different 

 authors are appended to the various sections. A disadvantage of such 

 multiple authorship is the difficulty of securing uniformity of treatment, and 

 examples of this character are not far to seek. Thus, while thirteen pages 

 are devoted to Fishes, only five ^o to Marine Mollusca, a better known and 

 far more popular group of about equal size. Our very unequal knowledge of 

 the Invertebrates also comes out conspicuously. A single page suffices for 

 the three great groups of Polyzoa, Rotifera, and Nematoda. Comparing the 

 account of Invertebrates as given in the 1874 and 1902 Guide, we find that 

 good progress has been made in the interval in our knowledge of the 

 Mollusca, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Arachnida, and Foraminifera ; but in 

 most of the very numerous other groups research has been at a stand-still. 

 In marine zoology especially is this neglect apparent, and when we think 

 of the enormous unexplored fields that lie open in this and other directions, 

 we cordially wish that §ome of the northern energy that at present goes to 



