634 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



different forest periods that occur, separated by a growth of peat. 

 The time between the destruction of a forest and its re-growth may, 

 in a measure, be learned in the province of Quebec. During the 

 French and early English occupations all the low country between 

 Quebec and Montreal was by the lumberers cleared of timber; now 

 again it is a wood ; not good marketable timber in the Canadian 

 opinion, but as gross as the majority of firs to be found in the 

 " Home country." These secondary woods are interesting, not only 

 as to the re-growth of timber but also as to preserves for animal 

 life; because as the country was cleared of its timber the wild 

 animals retreated before the lumberers. Now, however, they have 

 tried back, and in some of this re-grown bush, which is still con- 

 sidered the " old country," there is a better head of game than can 

 be found even far up in the as yet undisturbed forests. Perhaps, 

 however, the expression "tried back" is incorrect, as the animals 

 more probably emigrated from their haunts in the as yet undis- 

 turbed north-east portion of the province. 



In connection with our subject, the following information about 

 the Fermanagh peat and timber, received since the paper was read 

 from Mr. Thomas Plunkett, M.R.I.A., is of interest : — 



To the west of Upper or South Lough Erne, on the hills, there 

 is boulder drift, it at the bottom of the slopes being replaced or 

 overlaid by brickclay. From these slopes the flats extend eastward 

 in the river valleys to and beyond the lake ; and from the canals 

 opened in these flats it has been learned that in them there are five 

 to six feet of alluvium (silt), above one to two feet of peat with 

 timber, they resting on the glacial drift. The peat is flaky, and 

 full of flagger-like plants (Nonagay turf of Munster), and the 

 timber is principally oak, some of the " sticks " being over forty feet 

 long and five feet in diameter. This timber must have grown on 

 a surface below the drainage outlets of the river flats west of Upper 

 Lough Erne. In the low country east of the two lakes there are 

 different saucer or dish-shaped lake basins, in which roots of trees in 

 situ occur below their summer level : such as at Drumgay and the 

 Mill lakes north of Enniskillen, and in two lakes in Oastlecoole 

 demesne. 



To the eastward of Upper Lough Erne, on the sloping terrace 

 round the top of Topped Mountain, there is a pagan cemetery, 

 now covered by five or six feet of peat. On the flanks of the hill 



