G60 FOUBTH REPORT 1834. 



It is worthy of remark that no bones of the hog were found ; 

 which seems to show that the animal did not exist in the coun- 

 try when the remains were introduced into the caves. 



: -, a 



^7w some Caves in the Island ofRathlin a7id the adjoining Coast 

 ', of the County of Antrim. By Thomas Andrews, of Tri- 

 ^mty College, Dublin. '." : ' '' '^'""""j-' 



"^ Of these caves six were examined by the author, viz. fotir in 

 'RathUn, one in the rock called Carrick-a-rede, and one in the 

 mainland near Ballintoy. In a cave in Rathlin, a thick layer 

 of sea sand containing marine shells was found beneath the sta- 

 lagmite, near the termination of the cave ; and in another cave 

 a different variety of water-worn sandstones was discovered in 

 a similar situation, but no trace of shells could be seen. In an- 

 other large cave at Rathlin, a rude piece of antiquity formed of 

 iron and resembling the handle of a sword, was found quite close 

 to the skeleton of a sheep. The length of the RathUn caves varied 

 from 150 to 250 feet ; the dimensions in other respects were 

 very different. It seems obvious from these circumstances, from 

 the position of the entrances to some of the caves and the nar- 

 rowness of those of others, 1st, that many of the animals could 

 not have entered them in their present position and state ; 2nd, 

 that the sea must have formerly entered them at a much higher 

 Jiielative elevation than its present level. ij 



On the Anatomical Structure of recent and fossil Pfoods,\ 

 By W. NicoL. 



With a view to acquire some precise information on this 

 subject, the author cut transverse sections of various trees, and 

 soon perceived that the reticulated texture of the recent Coni' 

 ferae was essentially the same as that of the fossil specimens. 

 As soon as he was thoroughly convinced of the similitude, he 

 mentioned the circumstance to many of his friends, and showed 

 them both the recent and fossil sections in the microscope. The 

 similitude was so striking as to be admitted by all ; but as the 

 fossil sections presented no appearance of regular annual layers, 

 some were led to entertain doubts as to the actual identity. On 

 examining soon after some fossils which he had found in the 

 vicinity of Whitby, and one in particular which he had found 

 among the debris of the porphyritic pitchstone in the island 

 of Eigg, he observed the same reticulated structure associated 

 with the most regular annual layers. These left no doubt 

 on his mind as to the Coniferous origin of the whole; but it was 



