568 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



called by Jukes and Du Noyer the Anascaul beds. Adjoining these 

 are Silurian, the upper group of which has been called the Dingle beds, 

 and the lower group the Smerwick beds, the typical Silurians occur- 

 ring between, as other groups. The Smerwick beds are probably in 

 part the equivalents of the Llandovery or May Hill sandstone. 

 These passage beds between the Ordovicians and Silurians are very 

 similar in aspect and composition to the Devonians, or passage 

 beds {Dingle beds and Glengariff grits) between the Silurian and 

 Carboniferous, they both belonging to the red types, formerly all 

 included in the " Lower Old Red Sandstone." 



[The term Old Eed Sandstone once included all red or reddish sandy rocks below the 

 Carboniferous limestone ; but by degrees, group after group, as geological knowledge 

 increased, were given special names, and separated from it, till eventually the rocks 

 that remained were those that lay between the Carboniferous limestone and the typical 

 Silurian. Now, however, it is learned that of this remainder the upper portion 

 belongs to the Carboniferous and the lower to the Silurian, while the intermediate 

 passage beds are all that remain to be called either Lower Old Red Sandstone or Devo~ 

 nians. These beds above the Silurians, also those below them {Mayhill sandstone or 

 Llandovery), are veiy similar in aspect and composition ; so that in places one has been 

 mistaken for the other. This will be referred to hereafter when describing the rocks 

 the counties Mayo, Eoscommon, and Sligo.] 



To the south-west of the county are the reddish to greenish 

 type of Silurians that have been called Glengariff grits. They in 

 part represent the upper portion of the Dingle beds, and in part 

 higher strata. These Glengariff grits graduate upwards into the 

 Devonians, and the latter into the Carboniferous. The Carbo- 

 niferous rocks in this part of Kerry, that is in the neighbourhood of 

 the bay called Kenmare river, are for the most part of the " West 

 Cork type," they, except near Kenmare, being Carboniferous 

 slate and Coomhoola grits ; but at Kenmare there is a small tract of 

 limestone, and lower limestone shale intervening peculiarly. 



In the Dingle promontory margining the Silurians, and lying 

 unconformably on them, are Devonians. These evidently are the 

 equivalents of the Devonians to the north and south of Kenmare 

 river, and in the adjoining portion of Cork ; but in the south part 

 of Kerry and in Cork the upper portion of the Glengariff grits is 

 present, while in the Dingle promontory it is absent, thus necessi- 

 tating the Devonian of the Dingle promontory to lie uncomform- 

 ably on the Silurian (Dingle beds). In the neighbourhood of 

 Kerry Head there is an isolated tract of Devonians. The Devo- 



