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



design, built into the wall of Dunsford Chapel; and from 

 here a drive of two miles brought us to Benderg Bay, the 

 termination of our outward journey. Here the members 

 descended to the shore, and lunch was partaken of under 

 the steep cliffs of conglomerate with interstratified sands, 

 which rise just above high- water mark. 



After lunch the members separated to pursue their 

 varied avocations, most of the party proceeding to Killard 

 Point, which forms the southern side of the entrance to 

 Strangford Lough. Right opposite in mid-channel lies the 

 dangerous Angus Rock, marked by a tall white beacon, with 

 the lower reefs of Ballyquintin Point, the northern side of the 

 entrance, behind it. Looking up the narrow channel, through 

 which with every tide rush four hundred million tons of 

 green sea water, we observed the villages of Strangford and 

 Portaferry, with the ruins of their castles built to guard the 

 narrow entrance of the well-named lough, Strang-Fiord — the 

 violent inlet. 



The district proved very instructive to the geologists of 

 the party, the coast line from Ardglass to Ballyhornan being 

 composed of Silurian slates, usually tilted at high angles, the 

 result of excessive folding, and containing many dykes of 

 high interest; the drifts of Ballyhornan and Benderg Bays 

 consist largely of gravels, now cemented together (calcreted) 

 by the action of the limy waters, and containing many speci- 

 mens of red Castle Espie limestone, doubtless conveyed 

 hither by glacial action, which has also left many charac- 

 teristic markings on the rocks of the district. The botanical 

 section obtained many specimens of some of our rare or more 

 locally distributed plants, among which may be mentioned 

 the rest-harrow (Ononis repens), very abundant on the sand- 

 hills, and in beautiful bloom; the sea holly {Eryngium mari- 

 timum), with its striking, steely-blue inflorescence lighting 

 up the fringe of the sand-hills, the sea convolvulus {C. Sol- 

 danella), with its glossy green leaves and delicate pink 

 flowers, the sea meadow rue (Thalictrum dunense), the round- 

 leafed mallow (Malva rotunda folia), the knotted hedge-parsley 



