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



of the erection of the tower ? was the cross over the door of the 

 same date as this tower, &c, &c. After Mr. Smith's address 

 the party were conducted over the grounds and garden by Mr. 

 Clark's gardener. The great bullan-stone in this garden gave 

 rise to an animated discussion, and the difference between it 

 and the cup-marked stone was considered. Vehicles were in 

 readiness to convey the party to Larne, a distance of twenty-one 

 miles. They were provided by Mr. H. M'Neill, of Larne, whose 

 ready resources, tact, and courtesy are invaluable to the explor- 

 ing naturalist, the ordinary visitor, or the holiday-seeker. Com- 

 fortably seated on M'Neill's well-appointed machines, we drove 

 through Antrim and along through a most prosperous 

 agricultural district, pregnant with thrilling memories of the 

 sad events that took place all over our course just a hundred 

 years ago, memories our party did not care to awaken, while 

 they noted the fact that for the entire of their drive they traced 

 the ironbeds that occur between the upper and lower basaltic 

 rocks of Antrim. This zone marks a very distinct horizon of 

 the greatest geological importance, and it is from this the iron- 

 ore and bauxite industries have sprung. The zone was first 

 exposed at Ballypallady during the construction of the 

 Northern Counties Railway, when the late Dr. Ritchie noted 

 its economic value, and originated an industry that has been 

 carried on with more or less success ever since. Subsequent 

 to the discovery of the iron-ore beds the associated bauxite or 

 aluminous clay was discovered at Glenarm, and since then it 

 has been discovered in several other places in County Antrim, 

 and is now converted into the metallic form, a factory for its 

 preparation being at Larne. Distinctive sections of this zone 

 can be seen from the railway near Ballypallady, and a 

 most interesting section jLs exposed near Templepatrick Station, 

 where the chalk occurs at the surface, and connected with it a 

 protrusion of rhyolite, a peculiar form of volcanic rock only 

 occurring in a few places in Antrim and Down, and in every 

 case indicating a volcanic outburst that took place prior to the 

 date of the upper basalts. 



