*7 



At Ballintoy a visit was paid to the Harbour and Quarries 

 belonging to Messrs. Herdman and MacKinnon, who quarry 

 large quantities of Chalk and send it to Glasgow, &c, a cave 

 occurring on the quarry site is said to extend inland as far as 

 the Parish Church. 



After leaving the Quarries the party visited the undercliff 

 between the Harbour and Whitepark Bay ; here the enormous 

 blocks of trap that are scattered over the undercliff assume 

 most fantastic forms, and here and there the Lias beds crop out 

 along the shore ; but the chief development of this formation 

 is at Whitepark Bay, along the banks of a stream that runs 

 from the cliff to the sea. The chief object of the excursion was 

 to explore this bed, and the whole party arrived at the spot, 

 fairly tired out by the rough walk from Carrick-a-Rede. This 

 fatigue was thoughtfully anticipated by A. F. Herdman, Esq., 

 who had a most substantial luncheon prepared on the grass 

 close by, and in his absence his brother, Wm. Herdman, Esq., 

 dispensed the hospitality of the firm to the satisfaction of all 

 present, Mr. Herdman being assisted by Mrs. and Mr. Dickson, 

 of the Castle, Ballintoy. After luncheon a most hearty vote 

 of thanks was passed to Messrs. Herdman, and the hammers, 

 picks, and shovels were soon in active operation. This bed of 

 Lias may be reckoned amongst the most fossiliferous deposits 

 of that formation in Great Britain, It was known to Portlock, 

 and the species it yielded largely augmented the list of 

 Liassic fossils, published in his Report. Cephalopods prevail 

 in these " Belemnite Shales." The fauna is very varied, in- 

 cluding many forms not yet found elsewhere ; and this Society 

 has been complimented by having the names of some of its 

 prominent members attached to several of the newly discovered 

 fossils. Thanks to the Messrs. Herdman, those members 

 who took advantage of this excursion had a rare opportunity 

 of getting easy access to the Ballintoy Lias. The Belemnite 

 Shales are cut through by a small stream, and Mr. Herdman 



C 



