302 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



from that date, until about 1876, carried on the mining- with vary- 

 ing success ; while about 1880 the works were totally dismantled. 

 The last adventurers seem to have been more extensive in their 

 operations than any of their predecessors, as they held five royalties 

 — Tankardstown, Knockmahon, Kilduane, Ballinasisla, and Bon- 

 mahon. Their first mine was on the " Trawna Stella" lode, in 

 the west portion of Bonmahon ; hence the name by which all the 

 mines were afterwards known. 



The future of these mines is very obscure, as from appearances 

 there seems to be no hope for them ; but it must be remembered 

 that although adventurer after adventurer gave them up as value- 

 less, yet the Mining Company found riches — the nett profits of 

 the mines in 1862 alone exceeding £20,000. (See Du Noyer, Ex. 

 Sheet 168, Gebl. Map, p. 81). 



Westmeath. 



This area is occupied by Carboniferous Limestones, except a 

 small exposure of Lower Carboniferous Sandstone near Moate, a 

 second west of Kilbeggan, and a minute tract of Ordovicians, 

 margined by Carboniferous Lower Sandstone, to the north of 

 Killucan. 



This county is absent from Griffith's lists, there being no recent 

 mines in it. Small bits of lead and copper have been picked up in 

 places ; while coaly seams and clay-iron-stones have been found in 

 the Calp shales. There is no prospect of profitable coal ever 

 being found ; but copper and lead veins, especially the last, ought 

 to exist, but are hard to discover on account of the envelope of 

 drift and bog. 



In places there are the traces of old iron works, while it is 

 possible that some of the Calp iron ores were utilized. 



Wexford. 



Two-thirds of this county are Ordovicians, in part metamor- 

 phosed. These are fringed along their N.W. margin by Granyte, 

 part of the great intrude of the Leinster range. S. E. of the 

 Ordovicians, and coming up from under them, are Cambrians. 



