84 



The Irish Naturalist. 



September, 



of these drifts around the bay leads quickly to the con- 

 clusion that the whole deposit from Rineen to Ballins- 

 keUigs is the remains of a series of terminal moraines and 

 more detailed study in reconstruction confirms the idea. 



The section of cliff at Waterville. (see Plate i) taken in 

 February, 19 19, is about 150 3^ards south of a headland of 

 glacial drift and about three-quarters of a mile west of 

 the Butler Arms Hotel. West of the headland the cliff 

 rapidly descends to beach level near the golf links hut 

 and the sluice. 



The stream in the view appears to coincide with a remark- 

 able depression in the older moraine and sand deposits — 

 the stratification apparent^ lying in lines fiJling in the sides 

 of the original valley. It is remarkable that the stream 

 should still retain its old course. 



Waterville is built on a portion of this moraine, which 

 starts at Rineen and follows the course of the bay to the 

 Inny mouth. The streams have cut through it, and the 

 sea, aided by the heavy rainfall, undermined and worn 

 it down with var3ang results in different parts of the bay. 

 The biggest cuts in the moraine are due to the rivers 

 Cummeragh and Inny, which latter river, now running 

 into the bay by a narrow mouth, has in past times 

 wandered over a idSxly wide delta. 



Horse Island, opposite Balhnskelligs and drift -covered, 

 was within historic times a peninsula and formed a natural 

 breakwater for the little bay on the shore of which the 

 abbey and castle of Balhnskelligs were built, no doubt 

 because of this shelter. Their ruins are now threatened 

 with early destruction due to the cutting through of the 

 peninsula, which has allowed the free play of the Atlantic 

 waves against their yielding foundations. Although 

 attempts have been made to arrest this destruction, by 

 building concrete protecting walls, these are now being 

 undermined and zii no distant date the abbey will disapj)ear. 



The sea between the island and the mainland is deepening 

 with every rush of tide. A few years ago it was possible 

 at low water of spring tides to wade across from the island 

 to the abbey. A Mr. Barry, who. lives on the island at 

 present, did it a year ago. 



