1899-19°°-] 533 



At Burnfoot, in Bovevagh parish, fully eight miles from the 

 mouth of the Roe, and about 400 feet above the waters of the 

 Foyle, a bed of clay occurs, which contains organic forms 

 almost identical with the forms now living in the Foyle. 

 Many of them are the same, but the general character indicates 

 that the deposit was not laid down under the same conditions 

 as the clay in the Foyle. A member of the Field Club has 

 microscopically examined two samples of clay, one from the 

 station at Limavady Junction, where the clay is estuarine, and 

 the other sample was taken from the section at Burnfoot, at 

 the higher level of 400 feet; both are proved to be estuarine, 

 the higher deposit must have been laid down in a sheltered 

 bay near the shore, as is demonstrated by the character of the 

 foraminifera it contains. The sample from the Junction 

 yielded 140 species. The Burnfoot sample only contained 32 

 species, limited to the following genera : — Miliolina, Bulimina 

 Nonionina, Polystomella, Bolivina, Lagena. The number and 

 size of the individuals of these very beautiful organisms may be 

 gathered from the fact that one ounce of the washings contained 

 1,440,000 individuals. This examination was made by Mr. 

 Joseph Wright, F.G.S. 



The historic associations connected with the valley under 

 view are of great value. It was the country of the 0'Cathans> 

 whose founder was grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, 

 monarch of Ireland in the beginning of the fifth century. 

 Roderic MacManus O'Cathan was the last of the race that 

 ruled these lands from the eleventh century. He followed 

 the standard of Hugh the last Earl of Tyrone, in the fatal 

 insurrection against Queen Elizabeth, and thereby lost his 

 position. His castle was built on the right bank of the Roe, 

 near the Dog's Leap or Limavady, to be referred to presently. 



Another great Irishman connected with this locality was the 

 famous Columba. Like O'Cathan, Columba was descended 

 from the Royal race of Ulster. According to the testimony of 

 the Duke of Argyll, " Columba was an agent, and a principal 

 agent, in one of the greatest events the world has ever seen — 



