6z [Proc. B. N. F. C. 



the Association, in so far as they treated upon subjects which 

 came within the range of the Club's aims, referring more fully 

 to the work of the Corresponding Societies Committee, on 

 which he had been appointed a delegate to represent the Club. 



The next communication was by Messrs. W. A. Firth and 

 Wm. Swanston, F.G.S. It was entitled, " References to the Diato- 

 maceous Deposits at Lough Mourne, and in the Mourne Moun- 

 tains." Mr. Firth stated that on becoming interested in the 

 study of Diatomacese some years ago, he was attracted by our 

 local deposits, as represented in dealers' catalogues. Toome- 

 bridge and Stoneyford deposits were easily localised, and 

 samples obtained, but Mourne Mountains was a puzzle, and 

 until very recently he was under the impression that it was 

 really the same as the Lough Mourne deposit, wrongly named. 

 On making inquiries during the past few weeks, F. Kitton, 

 Esq., F.R.M.S., informed him that he had an old slide in his 

 possession, labelled " Mourne Mountains," the forms on which 

 were small and insignificant, and a hope was expressed by that 

 gentleman that during the coming season samples of the deposit 

 might be obtained, if it were not entirely removed or covered. 



Loughmourne deposit — As. you are well aware, this deposit 

 is found in Loughmourne, near Carrickfergus. To show the 

 confusion which has arisen, Mr. Firth stated that a correspon- 

 dent of his, a Liverpool gentleman, had made searches year 

 after year at Lough Mourne, Co. Donegal, when on annual 

 visits to Irish property, and was much surprised when a sample 

 was sent him from our locality. For a long time it seemed as 

 if this deposit was a thing of the past, through being covered 

 with water, but in 1882, when the lough was drained, it was 

 found, as stated by Rev. W. Smith in The Annals and Maga- 

 zine of Natural History, 1850. Samples were taken from the 

 N.E. and S.E. shores, the former being remarkably rich in fine 

 bold forms, and contained 48 species, the S.E. material being 

 quite as rich, but the forms smaller, and the number of species 

 fewer. The reader had no doubt but that all the species 

 observed in the deposits might be found living in the lough. 

 During the past season he had collected material in a ditch on 



