Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Roemer — A Vmt to Ireland. 57 



Dublin afforded a variety of information. One of them related to 

 the presence of Posidonomija Becheri at Loughshinny near Rush, 

 to the north of Dublin. Black shales sometimes passing into 

 hard limestone, traversed by veins of quartz, are numerous on 

 this part of the coast. Some of these strata have their surfaces 

 covered with the shells of Fosidonomya Becheri. The appearance 

 of the whole strikingly resembling that of Barnstaple in Devon- 

 shire (the Lower Culm Beds of Murchison). Here, in Ireland, 

 however, the layers of rock containing Fosidonomya are in 

 closer connexion with the principal mass of the Carboniferous 

 Limestone which is to be seen in the immediate neighbourhood, 

 where extensive quarries are worked, while in Devonshire the Car- 

 boniferous Limestone is wholly wanting, and the Fosidonomyce are 

 found there in the Culm formation which takes its place. At 

 numerous other points, likewise, the Irish geologists have met with 

 the same mollusc with similar distinguishing marks. It is further- 

 more found in the Coal-measures of Northumberland in precisely the 

 same circumstances. It is a matter of great interest to determine 

 the exact horizon which the Fosidonomya Becheri occupies in the 

 Coal-measures of Ireland and England, because it will then be 

 possible to determine to what division of the Carboniferous Lime- 

 stone our German sandstone Culm formation corresponds, this being 

 palEeontologically characterized by the same mollusc. I have during 

 my journey collected a number of facts bearing upon this point, 

 which I shall publish on a future occasion. 



The Irish metropolis and its environs having been visited, there 

 succeeded longer excursions into more distant districts of the 

 island. The first one was to the charming Lakes of Killarney, 

 so celebrated for their picturesque beauty. They are situated in the 

 <Jounty of Kerry, which occupies the south-western corner of 

 Ireland. In order to get to this district, one is obliged to traverse 

 the whole of the southern half of Ireland from north-east to south- 

 west. The journey is for the most part rather monotonous, but not 

 disagreeable ; it proceeds over the great central plain, the foundation 

 of which is formed by horizontal or slightly inclined strata of Car- 

 boniferous or Mountain Limestone. But it is only occasionally that 

 the Carboniferous Limestone crops up at the surface. In most places 

 it is covered by a layer of gravel of greater or less depth. At times 

 this diluvial gravel, composed of water-worn pieces of limestone, 

 and partly also of other kinds of rocks, is raised into ridges or 

 eskers of moderate elevation. Thus the surface of the countr}'^ is, 

 to a certain extent, undulating. The hollow flats which lie deeper 

 are, far and wide, covered with peat-bogs. On the whole the 

 country appeared to me by no means such a wilderness, nor so 

 badly cultivated, as I had imagined from the perusal of many 

 descriptions of it. The brilliant green of a rich sward, caused by 

 the great humidity of the climate, does not give the impression of a 

 desert or barren countr3% 



Higher mountain summits first begin to appear in the southern 

 portion of the island. They are steep and rugged mountains from 



