96 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



at the north of the bay, cliffs on the south formed of black shales 

 dip south-east at 5°, so that it is easy to calculate the exact distance 

 that these beds are above the top of the Carboniferous Limestone. 



The cliffs south of Fishergate strand are continuous with the Cliffs 

 of Moher, and furnish a complete and unbroken section of the Car- 

 boniferous rocks, from practically the base of the shale series to the 

 mass of shales which overlies the grits and sandstones, and forms the 

 highest part of the Cliffs of Moher. 



Unfortunately, owing to the rapid rise of the cliffs in height, and 

 their precipitous character, it is impossible to make a detailed exami- 

 nation of each bed ; but this much appears to be the case, viz. : — the 

 lower portion of the black shale series, that was seen in the sections 

 at Lisdoonvarna and in the River Aille, is absent, but, turning south, 

 a rapidly rising cliff of black shales is seen. In a bed of black shale 

 12 feet above the floor of sand, I obtained the following fossils : — 



Pterino2}ecten pajnjraceus. Gly2)hioceras reticidatum. 



Posidoniella IcBvis, Orthoceras honinchianum. 



The shales above are much jointed, the joints deeply iron-stained, 

 and they contain bullions of various sizes, but chiefly flattish and 

 unfossiliferous. 



The black shale series is succeeded by sandy flags, which crop out 

 in the cliff above the dry bed of the Aille ; and these flags form the 

 top of the cliff south of Fishergate, dipping south-east at 5°, and 

 reaching the sea-level almost one mile south of Eaunmore. In all 

 there are about 80 feet of the shale series which intervene between the 

 massive Carboniferous Limestone and the flagstone series. 



A block of a calcareous concretion in the collection of the Geo- 

 logical Survey, labelled ''Cliffs of Moher," contains GlypTiioceras reti- 

 culatum and Nomismoceras spirorhis. I did not pretend to examine the 

 flagstone series with any minuteness ; but the sequence given by the 

 Geological Survey in the Sheet Memoir of 114, 122, and 123, is sub- 

 stantially correct, and is as follows : — 



Black shales, 40 feet. 

 Marine band, 5 inches. 

 Plags, with track-marks. 

 Olive grits. 



Black shales, 300 feet. 

 Grits and flags. 



Upper Limestone shales, 80 feet. 

 Carboniferous Limestone. 



