Il8 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



siderable distance from the present shore. In the opinion of 

 the writer, this was a former escarpment, or shore Hne, worn 

 away when Lough Neagh was at least 30 feet lower than at 

 present, and when some 20,000 acres at the south margin were 

 dry land, covered with waving woods. The present Deryinver 

 at the mouth of the Upper Bann, represents the Tuach Tub- 

 hear mentioned in the Book of Leccan, to which the probable 

 overflow extended. The formation of the surface of submerged 

 escarpment bears out this idea. It is studded in many places 

 with large root-stumps in situ^ and the fallen trunks of oak and 

 fir trees, and a thick stratum of peat. In the turf bogs which 

 border Lough Neagh, fir and oak roots of very large size are 

 also found far below the present mean level of the lough. The 

 submerged escarpment is an undoubted record in the Creator's 

 handwriting of a former water level, a fact which the monkish 

 Celtic romances but traditionally echo through the long ages. 



But like voices from afar off 

 Call to us to pause and listen, 

 Speak in terms so plain. 



The second meeting of the session was held on Tuesday 

 evening, 20th December — Dr. John Moore in the chair — 

 when a paper was read by the Rev. John Andrew, entitled 

 " Some Thoughts on the Developement Theory of Creation." 



Mr Andrew opened by raising a note of warning to natur- 

 alists to distinguish in the scientific literature of the day between 

 natural science and the worse than useless speculations that 

 pass for science with the shallow-minded and slothful, who 

 would rather have the universe handily put into a nutshell for 

 them than go out and gaze on its great face, and wonder, and 

 worship, and learn ; and he gave as an instance of this idle 

 speculation, Huxley's myth of the " Baihyhhis HceckelHy He 

 next proceeded to define and defend species as the real and 

 steadfast stuff of creation, and argued that the sexes, which unite 

 with fruitful offspring, are this abiding stuff from generation 



