48 REPORT—1852. 
is very small, and the beds are now nearly all worked out. A third occurs in Leitrim, 
Cavan, and Roszommon, stretching to Lough Island, which contains only one bed, 
not exceeding two feet in thickness, though in this locality there is the site of the 
Arigna iron-works, which, though they are not worked at the present time, formerly 
attracted much attention in this country. The shale accompanies the coal with rich 
beds of argillaceous ironstone, some of it containing so much as 40 per cent. of iron ; 
indeed, the iron that was made at Arigna was found to be of very superior quality. 
Mr. Griffith next described the Kilkenny coal district, which contains, he said, an 
unflaming coal, or mineral charcoal alone. There are several beds in this district, 
two of which are three feet in thickness, one four feet, and two less than three feet. 
The upper beds have been long since worked out; the lower ones still remain, 
though they are sc impure in quality, and contain so much sulphur, that they are not 
used except to burn limestone. ‘The Munster coal district was next dwelt upon. It 
occupies a considerable portion of Clare, Limerick, Cork, and Kerry, and contains 
three beds, some of which are not more than six inches in thickness. The most 
valuable portion is found at the south, immediately to the north of the river Black- 
water, where several excellent beds of anthracite occur. 
Having remarked that he would not say that a valuable coal bed would not be 
found in Ireland, though he believed that no such coal would be had in the country 
as is to be found in England, Mr. Griffith proceeded to the New Red Sandstone. The 
new red sandstone, he said, is very sparingly developed in Ireland. The most 
southern locality in which it is found is at Carrickmacross, in the county of Monaghan, 
where, in sinking through it to obtain coal, a bed of gypsum, 40 feet in thickness, 
was discovered; and the districts in which it is found most extensively are in the 
counties of Tyrone and Antrim. In Tyrone, it adjoins the coal district, and_rests 
upon it. It also occurs in the valleys of the river Lagan, in the counties of Down 
and Antrim, continues under Belfast, and again displays itself at Carrickfergus. The 
strata contain gypsum in thinner beds, however, than those mentioned as occurring 
at Carrickmacross. Some time ago, when sinking through it to obtain coal, a bed of 
salt was discovered. 
The new red sandstone is covered by the lias, which is similar to that in England, 
and this again by the chalk, which in the north of Ireland is called white limestone, 
owing to being more dense than the chalk found in England. ‘The chalk is covered 
by tabular trap, which occupies a large portion of the counties of Antrim and Derry. 
Mr. Griffith next explained the position of the tertiary beds, remarking that an in- 
teresting tertiary district occurs in the south side of Lough Neagh, in the counties of 
Tyrone and Down. It is ten miles in length and four in breadth; a bore was made 
through it, to the depth of 300 feet, with a view to obtain coal, and the strata were 
found to consist of alternations of white ironstone and blue clay, with surlurbrand, or 
wood coal—a series similar to that at Bovey, in Devonshire. ‘The level of the bore, 
which was situated not far from the coal-field, and adjoined the coal district, was 
about 70 feet above the level of the sea; and, as the boring itself was 300 feet deep, 
the depth of the series was 230 feet below the level of the sea, though even at this 
distance it was not penetrated. Mr. Griffith next alluded to the tertiary districts 
situated on the coasts of the counties of Wicklow, Wexford, and Waterford, and con- 
cluded by a view of the eskar hills and diluvial gravel which cover so large a portion 
of Ireland, and which appeared to him to have been produced by currents setting in 
from the north-west towards the south-east. 

On the Fossil Remains of the Lower Silurians of the South of Scotland, an 
their Position. By Ropert HARKNEss. 
The occurrence of fossil remains amongst the depusits known to the earlier Scotch 
geologists by the name of transition, was a circumstance which excited considerable 
attention even in the days of Hutton and Playfair. The locality from whence these 
were procured was Wrae in Peeblesshire, and this spot for a long time was regarded 
as the only source which afforded organic remains amongst the Silurians of Scotland. 
Since these deposits have been discovered to be of the Lower Silurian age, they have 
furnished fossils in considerable abundance. 
Prof. Nicol has, from the slate quarries of Greistone and Thornielee in Peebleshire 
and Selkirkshire, obtained Graptolites; Mr. Carrick Moore, at Cairnryan, has procured 

