196 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



only a few feet, and when the "ebb-tide" current is excessive, 

 dnriag heavy storm waves, the cutting out seems to continue for a 

 little time into the ebb. 



" Ground swells " act differently to the ordinary wind waves, as 

 they break in on the coast line, perpendicularly or nearly so, with an 

 undulating or rolling motion which generates a considerable " suck " 

 or back-wash. The wind waves, which on one portion of a coast 

 line assist the tidal current when this latter is ilowing in a normal 

 direction, may, on another portiou, where there is a "counter-tide," 

 act differently. This is exemplified in the embayment between Hook 

 Promontory and the Saltee Islands. Here a gale from the S. W. assists 

 the tidal current between the Hook and the Keragh Islands, and 

 rapidly carries the beach to the ]!^.E. ; but the same gale striking the 

 beach in " the bite " on the north of Crossfarnoge Point, to the east of 

 Ballyteige Bay, where it is perpendicular to the tide current, forms a 

 great "full", while along the Burrows to the north of this bay it 

 meets the counter-tide obliquely, and cuts out the beach. Such winds 

 also stop the seaward driftage of the shoal at Keragh Islands, thus 

 causing great " fulls " in the strands at this part of the coast line, 

 During such winds, at certain seasons, great masses of sea- wreck or 

 drift seaweed are piled up in "the bite" to the north of Crossfar- 

 noge. These weeds grow principally on the rocky bottoms adjoining 

 the Saltee Islands, and during May and jS^ovember, the seasons for the 

 shedding of their leaves, the storms set the leaves afloat, and the tidal 

 current carries them northward into Ballyteige Bay, where they are 

 met and stopped by the storm waves and driven on shore at " the 

 bite," to be stranded when the tide ebbs. Under ordinary circumstances 

 the slope of the beach at "the bite" is less than 10°, and sometimes 

 only 5°, but after a twenty-four hours' S.AY. gale the slope often rises 

 to over 35°. Three or four high tides, however, will reduce it nearly 

 to its normal condition; the "full" being carried IN'.W. along the 

 strand of the Burrows rapidly filling up what had been cut out by the 

 gale. 



Between the Saltees and Carnsore, S.E., and S. winds accelerate 

 the travelling of the sands to the Kilturk Bank ; but here they are 

 met by the " half counter-tide," thus causing " fulls" in this locality. 

 In this place, at the proper seasons, there is also a great stranding of 

 sea-wreck. These weeds grow near the Saltees to the southward, and 

 near Carnsore to the eastward, and are carried to this locality by the 

 tidal current from the S. W., and by the " half counter- tide " from the 

 E. Ordinarily the weed is beached on the coast at the small headland 

 near Kilturk ; but if, while it is floating, there is a gale from the S. E., 

 a considerable quantity of it will be landed on the shore N.E. of 

 Carnsore. 



Observations in connexion with the " half counter-tide " running 

 westward from Carnsore are instructive. In a gale from the S. V., 

 during the first four hours of the " flow-tide," the beach travels 

 rapidly towards Carnsore ; but after the " half counter- tide " sets in, 



