204 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



" for a granite a very perishable stone, often decomposing 

 on the ground to a considerable depth." In the vicinity of the 

 granite are elvan veins differing from it " partly in the rareness or 

 absence of mica, and partly in the fineness of grain ; so that in a 

 hand specimen the rock might be mistaken at first sight for one of 

 the fine-grained Ordovician grits, (g. s. m.) These are similar to 

 the Co. Carlow elvans. No large quarry has been opened ; the 

 stone, when required, being procured from the large granite 

 erratics. These blocks are very numerous near Mount Loftus, ad- 

 joining the Eiver Barrow. Many of them are roughly squared ; as, 

 some years ago, the Messrs. White, of Waterford, contemplated 

 building a dry-dock there ; and about 600 tons of squared blocks 

 were brought by boat from this place. As the design for the dock 

 was not carried out, the rest of the blocks were left here ; while 

 those boated to Waterford were sold for foundations, &c. Granite 

 either from this county or Carlow, has been used in the following 

 structures in Waterford : — For the fronting of the Savings Bank, 

 new Courthouse, and new Bank of Ireland, along with limestone ; 

 new Methodist Church ; Post Office Buildings, and the Clock Tower 

 on the quay. (J. Budd.) 



Whinstones, &c. 



Whinstones occur as intrudes in the granite area, between four 

 and five miles S.W. of Inistioge. Euryte (?) associated with Tuff 

 is found at Ballyneale, three miles N.W. of New Eoss. These are 

 used only for road metal and farm purposes. 



Margining the various small exposures and the large tract of 

 granite, the Ordovicians are more or less altered into schists, which 

 are used for local walling purposes 



CO WEXFORD 



Granite Eocks. 



In the south-eastern part of the county, margining the sea, and 

 in the Saltee Islands, there are granites and granitose gneiss of post- 

 Cambrian and pre- Ordovician age (Arenig). The granites are 

 partly intrusive, and partly of metamorphic origin, the latter 



