754 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Part II. — The Benthos {Dredging and Shore-collecting). 



VII. — Report on the Eesults of Dredging and Shore-collecting. 

 By W. I. Beaumont, B.A. (Cantab.) 



(Chaut II.) 



iNTEODtrCTION. 



Valencia Sarlour. — The tenn Yalencia Harboiu* will be here used 

 to cover the whole stretch of water shut off and sheltered from the 

 Atlantic by the Island of Yalencia and its north-eastern satellite, 

 Begiimis. It appears to be veiy usual to restrict the name to that 

 portion of the area, lying chiefly between Yalencia Island and Beginnis, 

 which is used as a harbour by shipping, since there only is the water 

 sufficiently deep for vessels of quite moderate draught. It is more 

 convenient, however, for our pui'pose to include under the term, not 

 only Port Magee Sound, the long reach separating Yalencia Island 

 from the mainland, which at its south-west end narrows into the 

 deeper Port Magee channel before opening out to the ocean, but also 

 Lough Kay, between Beginnis and the mainland, and Cahir river. 



Shore-collecting. 



The extensive and varied shores of the harbour afford excellent 

 facilities for shore- work. The rise and fall of the tide is, however, 

 very moderate ; being only 1 1 feet at spring-tides. 



The shore is bounded for the most part by slate rocks ; but here 

 and there are areas more or less covered with loose stones and boulders, 

 spits of sand and gravel, sand-banks, Zostera-beds, and, at one point, a 

 submerged peat-bog. 



EocKT AND STONY PARTS OF THE SHORE. — The bcst Collecting 

 grounds of this description are near Knightstown and at Church 

 Island. From Knightstown, westward to Beenagiveen, there are 

 slate-reefs with intervening strips of sand, and gravel, and loose 

 stones. The imder sides of the latter are covered with encrusting 

 species of Sponges, Polyzoa, and Botrylloid Tunicates ; associated 

 with which are many Turbellaria. Here Anemones are fairly 

 abundant, and Polychsete worms, such as Halosydna gelatinosa^ 

 Myrianida pennigera (frequently found with a chain of buds), and 



