xxii INTRODUCTION. 



fortunate in his conchological work, and several new species were 

 estabKshed on these shells. Soon after his return to England he received 

 the appointment which he now holds, as Professor of Natural History in 

 the University of Adelaide, South Australia. 



Not only at home, hut at the Antipodes also. Professor Tate's teaching 

 has been marked with success, and it has been his good fortune, wherever 

 his lot has been cast, to stimulate the spirit of local scientific research. 

 The Eoyal Society of South Australia has profited by his labours, and 

 more recently he has been successful ia originating the Adelaide 

 Naturalists' Field Club. 



Professor Tate's forte being the acute discrimination of closely allied 

 fossil forms, he has made a high position as a palaeontologist. This, 

 however, has not prevented his attaining to a good knowledge of living 

 forms, notably plants and mollusca. Since his settlement in Australia it 

 has been his good fortune to meet with and describe many new species in 

 both groups. The latest (1887) volume of Proceedings of the Eoyal Society 

 of South Australia contains several Papers from his pen on recent and fossil 

 shells. These communications are illustrated by figui-es and descriptions of 

 many novelties. Professor Tate is the author of a large number of impoiiant 

 papers, which have appeared from time to time in the Quarterly Journal 

 of the Geological Society of London, the Proceedings of the Linnean 

 Society, the Proceedings of the Eoyal Society of South Australia, and in 

 other publications. He wrote an Account of the British Land and Fresh- 

 water Mollusca, but his greatest work has been The Yorkshire Lias, of 

 which he is joint author with Eev. J. F. Blake, F.G.S. The greater portion 

 of this elaborate work fell to the share of Professor Tate. The Flora 

 Belfastiensis was hastily prepared by Mr. Tate in 1863, with the trifling 

 assistance afforded by a few helpers, who were at the time the merest 

 tyros. This Flora does not profess to be exhaustive. It is, however, 

 original, and, notwithstanding several errors, it was a step in advance. 



PHYSICAL GEOGEAPHY.— The district to which this work refers 

 has for its outer boundary the North Channel and the Irish Sea. It 

 extends on the southeast to Carlingford Lough, and on the northwest is 

 limited by Lough Foyle and the County of Donegal. Its coast Kne is 

 roughly semicircular, with deep indentations at Strangford, Belfast, and 

 Lame. There is thus a very extensive range of seashore, measuring in 

 Down some 140, in Antrim about 100, and in Derry 28 miles. The 

 length of the base, however, in a direct line from Greencastle in Down 

 to Londonderry is under 90 miles. The combined area of the three, 

 counties we have grouped is close on 3,000 square miles, Antrim having 

 the greatest, and Derry the least extension. 



The surface of this region is extremely varied, and the scenery often 

 picturesque. In Down the most striking feature is the grand series of 

 mountains known as the Moume Eange, which extend, from Dundi-um 

 Bay, some 14 miles in a southeast direction to Eostrevor. These moun- 

 tains commonly display, more or less, roimded or domed outlines, but 



