390 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



white shells appearing subsequently, being gradually developed 

 when the marble is subjected to heat. But Mr. Colles states this 

 is a fallacy, as he has never known a case in which this occurred, 

 and the fossils are always to be seen from the first. 



The pure black is hard and fine-grained, and makes good 

 slabs, a very fine one being in O'Connell's tomb, Glasnevin, 

 Dublin. 



At Sion Hill, opposite, on the east of the river Nore, marble 

 was formerly raised, but not of as good a quality as in the Black 

 Quarry, and has not been worked for thirty or forty years, the 

 quarry being now closed up. 



At Butler's Grove, near Monefelim, north-north-west of Gore's 

 Bridge, there is a very pure black marble, which at the present 

 time is worked at the Kilkenny works, while formerly it was in 

 great request. 



West of Thomastown is a black stone, but not of good quality ; 

 it was, however, formerly much used for tombstones, the heavy 

 clearing over it being burnt into lime on the spot, and sold for 

 farming purposes; but since the demand for lime fell off the 

 quarries, like many others, are nearly idle. 



Limerick. 



Good " blacks " were also formerly procured in this county, 

 they being wrought in the quarries, and at the Marble Works, 

 Killaloe, on the Shannon, while the best were exported to London. 

 There appears to have been beds of different qualities, the most- 

 valuable being those which were of even texture and free from 

 silex, as the presence of the latter not only made them hard and 

 costly to work, but also less capable of receiving a polish. 



At Thomond's Gate, Limerick, a quarry was formerly largely 

 worked, the famous "Broken Treaty Stone" being a rough block 

 from it. Under the present railway station there was a large quarry, 

 the lowest bed being an excellent black stone fit for the London 

 market, and which was worked up to about the year 1830. Over 

 two miles from Limerick, at Ballysimon, there were stones of 

 excellent quality, some of the best of which were sent to London. 

 The beds varied from 7 inches to 4 feet, and 6 feet in thickness,, 

 the premier bed being one 12 inches thick. 



