Ii6 



l^Jic L'ish Naturalist. 



November, 



much better known species of the south-eastern United States, T. 

 distichuin, in having foliage which persists throughout the winter ; and 

 Pinus nunophylla, a peculiar pine with only one leaf in each sheath. This 

 tree, though only 20 feet in height and 16 inches in girth, is perhaps the 

 biggest one of its kind in the British Isles. 



July 29. — Excursion to Darlington Glen, Bray. — The members, 

 conducted by Mr. R. Brambell, spent a pleasant and profitable afternoon 

 observing the birds of the glen. 



September 25. — Excursion to Loughshinny. — The Club, under the 

 guidance of Mr. L. B. Smyth, visited the section of Lower Carboniferous 

 rocks exposed on the cotist between Rush and Skerries. To the south of 

 the village of Rush the rocks were seen emerging from the sand in the form 

 of calcareous slates (Rush Slates), with a few scatteretl bands of limestone. 

 They belong to the top of the Zaphrentis zone, and dip to the north. 

 There is, therefore, probably a considerable thickness of lower strata 

 buried under the sanis between Rush and Portraine. At first the slates 

 are much twisted and distorted. ' Large nests of crystalline calcite were 

 noticed at the intersection of small faults. To the east of the village the 

 strata become more regular. Here the dip of the beds is steeply to the N., 

 that of the cleavage steeply to the S. INIarine erosion acting on this struc- 

 ture has produced very striking, sharp-edged reefs running out at right 

 angles to the shore. The development of cleavage in the more shaly beds, 

 but not in the more calcareous beds, was pointed out. 



Approaching Rush harbour the slates give place to conglomerates, 

 often coarse, interbedded with calcareous sandstones and shales, the 

 whole traversed by a network of slight dislocations. The conglomerate 

 forms part of the Caninia zone. 



The limestones of the Seminula zone were now passed by on the N. 

 strand, and a halt was made at the bathing place to examine the 

 Cyathaxonia beds of the Dibunophyllum (" D ") zone. Here the party 

 found comfortable seats on the rounded top of a small overfold, for from 

 this point the rocks have been much folded by the Armorican movement, 

 which also produced the cleavage farther south. The beds are now thin 

 limestones and shales with abundant chert. Decalcification of limestone 

 was studied in the cliff. 



Passing rapidly the succeeding exposures, the fault on Drumanagh Head 

 was viewed by those bold enough to attempt the descent. It is near the 

 top of the " D " zone, and affords an excellent example of a fault breccia. 



The next point of interest was Loughshinny Bay, where the higlicst 

 beds of the section, the black shales of the Posidonomya zone, are exposed. 

 The cliffs arc well known for their striking folds. 



As time was running short, tlie remainder of the routc> to Skerries was 

 traversed at high speed, only two brief halts being made. The first was 

 to examine the extraordinarily uniform beds of the coarse Lane con- 

 glomerate, of the same age as the Rush conglomerate, though so different in 

 nature. Specimens of dolomite and some fossils from tlu^ overlying 

 Ilolini)atrick Limestcj\e were picked up. The last halt was at an in- 



