278 Mr. Weaver on the Structure of the South of Ireland, 



partly by a yellowish-brown colour. Such is the statement. 

 Now, how are these positions established ? 



Mr. Griffith admits* the correctness of the view, which I 

 gave more than twenty years sincef, of the relative position 

 of the old red sandstone, as occurring in detached portions 

 in the county of Wexford, on both banks of Waterford har- 

 bour up to the confluence of the Barrow and the Suire, and 

 again along the valley of the latter river west of Waterford, 

 flanking both its sides, that on the north extending into the 

 counties of Tipperary and Kilkenny, and that on the south 

 bordering the river and constituting higher up the Monavoul- 

 lagh group ; in all these cases reposing unconformably on the 

 older stratified rocks. They are thus all placed in the same 

 class as the old red sandstone formation : and this being the 

 case, it may be asked, why is the reddish-brown colour, as 

 indicative of old red sandstone, confined alone to those por- 

 tions of it which occur in the county of Wexford, extending 

 to the eastern side of Waterford harbour, while on the oppo- 

 site or western side of that harbour and of the river Barrow, 

 all the other districts specified, and acknowledged to be old 

 red sandstone, are coloured purple, as indicative of a newer 

 transition series? Here is a direct contradiction, both in 

 colours and terms, as well as in the reputed order of succes- 

 sion. 



The author having thus in the first place admitted that the 

 old red sandstone of the Monavoullagh range is of the same 

 age as that of the valley of the Suire, of the Barrow at its 

 confluence, and on the eastern and western confines of Wa- 

 terford harbour, &c., proceeds next to show that it belongs to 

 a newer transition series : and how is this accomplished ? by 

 representing the old red sandstone of the Monavoullagh 

 range, the stratified structure of which is admitted to vary 

 only a few degrees from the horizontal^, as dipping in its 

 southern prolongation suddenly to the south at a high angle, 

 and extending down to the coast, namely, to Bally voil Head ; 

 thus meaning to identify the old red sandstone of the Mona- 

 voullagh with the sandstone conglomerate, sandstone^ and 

 red slate which occur on that part of the coast in association 

 and interstratified with transition rocks at a high angle. 

 Here, doubtless, lies the main source of Mr. Griffith's mis- 

 conception, and the consequent train of errors and inconsist- 



* Journal of Geol.Soc. of Dublin, vol. ii. pp. 85,86. 



f Geo). Trans., vol, v., first series, part 1, 1819. Memoir on the East 

 of Ireland. 



X Eighth Report of the British Association — Transactions of the Sec- 

 tions, p. 82. 



