i88o-i88i.] 23 



Strong evidence of the heavy bombardment they have to endure, 

 while the blocks naturally rectangular in form, are rounded and 

 gradually reduced in size by their conflict with the firm land. 

 Peace reigned on the occasion of our visit ; the cool shelter of 

 the overhanging rocks was most grateful after the scorching 

 heat of the day's drive. The surface of the broad Atlantic was 

 without a ripple, save at the intervals when the heavy ground- 

 swell broke with giant force on the rocks outside. The scene 

 during a strong westerly gale is described by the fishermen as 

 something awful, — the waves often breaking with such force as 

 to send their waters over the face of the cliflfs, almost a hundred 

 feet above. The top part of the cliffs bears out their testimony, 

 as the soil is removed from it for many yards inland. An inter- 

 esting discovery was made in the rock-pools near low water. 

 The singular species of sea urchin, — Echinus lividus — was found 

 in great abundance, firmly fixed in circular cavities in the rock. 

 These creatures, covered with soft calcareous spines, have the 

 power of excavating for themselves holes in the hard limestone, 

 where they remain secure, though exposed to the heaviest 

 thunderings of the Atlantic. Muckross head is a hitherto 

 unrecorded locality for this interesting echinoderm. Immense 

 numbers of the small Littorina neritoides were also observed on 

 the rocks, and a dwarfed variety of the common mussel filled 

 almost every rock crevice. With great regret that time was 

 flying so rapidly, and so much of the day's programme unaccom- 

 plished, the party mounted to the top of the cliffs, and were 

 conducted to the eastern side of the peninsula. Here the 

 geologists present were amazed at the immense profusion of 

 fossil remains exposed in the rocks. Several species of corals 

 were beautifully weathered out on the surface, conspicuous 

 among which were Zaphrentis cylmdricus^ whose numbers and 

 appearance closely resembled the remains of a shoal of fishes, 

 that had been suddenly destroyed by some dire cataclysm. 

 Michelinia favosa, another coral, occurred more sparingly, while 

 Prodiictus giganteiiSy and other species of brachiopoda were in 

 great quantities. 



