1876-1877-] 251 



advantages in a public light, as being almost as important as a 

 national library, then gave a brief description of the different series 

 of coins in chronological order, from the primitive ring-money, as 

 used in the days of Abraham, and which passed by weight, and 

 not by tale or counting, down to the coinage of the present day. 

 A discussion on the subject of the paper, and the election of new 

 members, terminated the business of the meeting. 



On 21st February — Rev. Dr. Macllwaine, D.D., M.R.I. A., in 

 the chair — two papers were read. The first, by Mr. William 

 Gault, was entitled, " Observations on the Geology of the Black 

 Mountain, with special reference to the Cretaceous Rocks." The 

 Second was by Mr. William Miller, on " Antiquarian Remains 

 on Lurigethan Mountain, and in the vicinity of Cushendall." 



Mr, Gault commenced by referring to the great and increasing 

 interest taken by English and continental geologists in the study 

 of the Cretaceous rocks, and the almost total neglect of the same 

 strata in Ireland. As worthy of particular notice, he mentioned 

 the great work on the Upper Cretaceous strata of England and 

 Ireland, by Dr. Charles Barrois, Professor of Geology in the 

 College of Science in Lille. He had no hesitation in estimating 

 the book of this young and ardent French geologist as the best 

 and most comprehensive ever issued on Cretaceous geology. To 

 Mr. William Whitaker, of the Geological Survey of England, he 

 also gave great credit for the way he had detailed the Cretaceous 

 beds in Kent and elsewhere in England. Mr. Whitaker's . works 

 might be taken as models of accurate observation, and ' clear 

 statements of important, though often obscure, facts. The labours 

 of Portlock and Tate, on the Irish Cretaceous beds, were next 

 alluded to ; also the maps and memoirs of the Irish Geological 

 Survey, and the merits and deficiencies of each were pointed out. 



