tgii Irish Societies, 133 



drift through which the Carey River has cut its way was most commented 

 upon. Leaving the brakes at a point some 700 feet above Ballycastle, 

 the party proceeded on foot towards Torr, and in a few minutes the 

 watershed was crossed, and a grand view of the coast once more obtained. 

 Only a few of the party descended to Portaleen and Torr, but those who 

 did so were amply rewarded. The geology of the Torr area is strikingly 

 different from that of the rest of Antrim. Here the Chalk rests directly 

 upon the pre-Cambrian schists, the oldest rocks in Ireland, which rise 

 to a height of nearly a thousand feet. To the south the basaltic cap 

 of Carnanmore still overlies the Chalk, but over the greater part of the 

 area this rock has been completely worn away. Encircling the greater 

 part of Torr Head itself is a band of primitive limestone some 20 feet 

 thick, which at the extreme point is faulted down. Large blocks of 

 gneiss were also found, but this rock, which so closely resembles some 

 of the coarser schists, was not seen in situ. The prevalence of boulders 

 of a red granite, possibly of Scotch origin, may also be worth mentioning. 

 The botanical members had a busy day, and most of the recorded Torr 

 plants were observed, as well as Sysimbruim thalianum and Erophila 

 vulgaris — two plants not hitherto noted in this locality. Of the moUusks 

 only Arianta arbiistorum is worth mentioning. This species, which is 

 common in several places about the village of Torr, was reported to be 

 in great quantity among the alpines on the Chalk escarpment. Only 

 two common species of woodlice were observed, but several millipedes 

 and centipedes, a hitherto neglected group, were collected, the common 

 Stomius mavginata, lulus albipes, and a species of Lithobius being taken. 

 At 3.45 brakes were again mounted, and the party returned to Ballycastle, 

 where, after tea at the Antrim Arms Hotel, a short business meeting 

 was held. 



May 6. — Geological Section. — Excursion to Magheramorne. — 

 The members of the section left Belfast by the 2.15 p.m. train and on 

 arrival at Magheramorne proceeded to the quarry close to the railway 

 station. Here are exposed magnificent sections of " White Limestone" 

 with horizontal bands of flint, surmounted by basalt, capped with boulder 

 clay. Two fine basic dykes were noted. About the centre of the quarry 

 a fault brought up the " Chloritic Chalk," this was the only place it was 

 visible, and no lower divisions of the Cretaceous strata were observed. 

 Fossils were not abundant, but the record included Belemnitella mucronaia 

 Schloth ; Echinocorys vulgaris, Breyn ; Rhynchonclla octoplicata. Sow.; 

 Rh. latissima ; Terebratula cariiea. Sow. ; a fragment of Inoceramus, and 

 a fragment of an ammonite. 



The walk was then continued to Glynn and on the way, the columnar 

 basalt in Mr. Gregg's quarry was investigated. P'rom Glynn, the party 

 returned by the 6.15 p.m. train to Belfast. 



COEK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



May 9. — Annual General Meeting. — The President, Professor 

 Swain, occupied the chair. The Hon. Secretary (J. Noonan) read 

 his report, from which the following are extracts : — Two of the projected 



