16 Mr. Weaver on the Geological Relations of the South of Ireland. 



and on the flanks partial borders of the same formation, the latter supporting- 

 the carboniferous limestone in conformable position in those quarters. 



(21.) Turning now our attention to the bands and isolated masses of lime- 

 stone which are included in the transition tract, I may remark, that the greater 

 part of these limestones are continuous in the mass, yet appear interlaminated 

 or interstratified with the slaty rocks wherever exposed on their confines with 

 the latter. A remarkable feature attending most of these bands of lime- 

 stones is, that they occupy the line of valleys or dells, being flanked on each 

 side by elevated ranges of greywacke and slaty rocks. They seem to belong 

 to some of the oldest of the transition class, the species of organic remains 

 which they contain being, so far as my experience extends, not many in num- 

 ber, and being also sparingly and partially distributed. The close researches 

 of Mr. S. Wright in the Cork limestones lead to the same conclusion, as will 

 fully appear in the sequel. 



(22.) To the north of the road between Skibbereen and Ross is a calcareous 

 district, extending about three miles in length and one to one and a half miles 

 in width, consisting of isolated elliptical masses of bluish grey limestone, ar- 

 ranged in somewhat of an echelon order in grey clay-slate, the latter being also 

 partly calcareous when adjoining the limestone. An analogous deposit exists 

 also on the western side of Courtmacsherry bay ; in these I observed only 

 crinoidal remains and a few bivalves. 



About three miles north of Bantry town, and adjacent to the narrow inlet 

 from the sea, cafled Reenadunagan Lake, is a band of grey limestone, about 

 one quarter of a mile wide, which has been traced upon the range some 

 little distance to the eastward. It lies in pale bluish-grey, glossy clay-slate, 

 arranged in strata from one to one and a half feet thick where continuous ; but 

 on its confines with the slate on the south, it is interlaminated with the latter 

 in layers only a few inches thick, all dipping 45" to the south at the point of 

 contact; while in receding, both north and south, the beds gradually acquire 

 a higher inclination. The thinner layers of limestone are usually compact, and 

 the thicker granularly foliated, the latter appearing compounded of the com- 

 minuted fragments of crinoidal remains. I did not observe any bivalve. 



(23.) At the head of the bay of Kenmare is a limestone district, which ex- 

 tends to the east and west of the town of Kenmare, hems: about ten miles lono-, 

 and from a half to a quarter of a mile broad, and confined to the right bank of 

 the river Rought and the bay of Kenmare. At its western extremity, on the 

 townland of Reens, it gradually narrows to a point on the north shore of the 

 bay, yet extends through the adjacent islands of Cappanacus and Dunkerrin, 

 The limestone strata appear continuous throughout, and nearly rectilinear in 



