254 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



The coast-liue now strikes nearly north and south, and is no longer 

 indented by deep bays with jutting headlands, yet still we find that 

 the submerged peat is present. I have heard it asserted that the 

 anchor brings up peat off the coast to the north of Cahore Point, in 

 the county Wexford, and I know this to be the fact to the south of 

 Dalkey Island, and between that place and Bray. 



The distance along the coast from Tralong Bay and Rosscarbery 

 on the south to Dalkey on the north-east, over which the submerged 

 peat has been observed, is fully 195 miles ; and I have little doubt 

 that along the south-west coast, to the west of Hosscarbery, com- 

 prising Eoariugwater Bay, Dunmann's Bay, Bantry Bay, Kenmare 

 Bay, Dingle Bay, and Tralee Bay, all these deep indentations were 

 during the formation of this peat, either entirely or partially dry land, 

 and covered with a luxuriant forest, w^hich likewise formed a deposit 

 layer of peat similar to that just noticed ; and if we do not find 

 traces of it at these places, the fact is due to the destructive action 

 of the Atlantic on such an exposed coast, and the consequent removal 

 of the peaty matter. 



Until we have some information as to the distance from the 

 coast-lme and the extreme depth beneath the sea at which this bog 

 terminates, we cannot speculate on the probable amount of elevation 

 and depression to which the south and south-east of Ireland was 

 subjected during the growth and deposition of this remarkable for- 

 mation. It need not however have been very great ; two or three 

 hundred feet of elevation would now, even, cause a wonderful varia- 

 tion in the coast-line, and leave bare a wide belt of level land around 

 it; and if the climate was more genial than at present, and other 

 circumstances were favourable, w^e must suppose that it would be co- 

 vered with forest after the lapse of ages. All that would be required 

 is Time, and, from all that we can understand, Nature is most lavish 

 of this necessary aid to the production of even her latest geological 

 works. 



ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 

 Bt Professoe "William Kij^g, 



{Qtfreu's College, Galicaij,) queen's Universiti/ in Ireland. 



It would be an insult to reason to deny the power of the Omni- 

 potent to create at once plants and animals out of inorganic or any 



