Kin AH AN — Report on the Clearing of Peatij Waters. 597 



The Dargle river, above the Waterfall, drains a long mountainous 

 glen, with to the south a couple of small branches or cooms. The 

 mountains of the drainage area are principally composed of granite, 

 the mica schist only coming in a short distance above the fall. In a 

 few places in the glen there are accumulations of moraine matter, while 

 there is a covering of peat over nearly the whole area. 



There was no visible difference between the waters taken above 

 and below the fall, either in the field or when examined and compared 

 in the laboratory in a tube 1 8" long ; both showed a clear, dark -brown 

 tint, with little suspended matter, while only a very slight brown 

 sediment collected at the bottom when allowed to stand.^ 



The analyses of these waters (Nos. I., II. Table A, p. 603), show that 

 the samples are practically identical. The two important constituents — 

 organic carbon and nitrogen — being almost the same in each, the 

 slight difference (probably due to experimental errors), being only two 

 parts in the carbon and five in the nitrogen per 100,000,000 of the water. 

 Mtrogen, as nitrates or nitrites, was not detected in either sample, 

 although if any oxidation of the organic nitrogen took place during 

 the fall, some should occur in the lower sample. 



The waters next to be considered are from the Carawaystick brook, 

 which drains the eastern peaty slopes of Lugnaquilla. Here duplicate 

 specimens were collected in summer and winter. Although the gene- 

 ral features of this stream have already been described in the previous 

 Report, we may mention that, after it leaves Kelly's Lough, and has 

 flowed for about one and a-half miles, it falls precipitately down the 

 western side of Grlenmalure into the Avonbeg, by a succession of small, 

 often nearly perpendicular, falls, the aggregate vertical height of 

 which, between the points, being over 700 feet (as calculated by ane- 

 roid), while horizontally they are 1600 feet apart. The channel of 

 the fall is solid rock (granite and mica slate), with, in the clefts, &c., a 

 little loose gravel ; no side drainage appears to enter along the fall. 



When the winter samples were collected, in January, 1882, there 

 was a light mist on the hills, otherwise the day was fine and dry, but 

 not cold : although there had been considerable rain some days pre- 

 viously the stream was not flooded, but rather below its average ; the 

 waters were very clear and only slightly coloured with peat, and in 

 the 18" tube they showed a light olive brown tint. 



Trom the analyses as given in the Table (Nos. III. & IV.), we find 

 that the organic carbon and nitrogen are practically the same in both 

 samples. 



In the same Table, ISTos. V. and VI. give the analyses of the sum- 

 mer samples taken from the same points ; they show the differences in 

 the waters at these two seasons of the year ; and it will be remarked 

 that the main differences are in the organic constituents, especially the 

 organic carbon.^ 



- In peaty waters usually, on standing, a brown sediment collects at the bottom. 

 ^ These examples are average samples of peaty -water in summer and winter. 



