Geological Relations of the East rf Ireland. 191 
but the precipices next to the sea itself are quite abrupt ; and this 
part of the coast, being little subject to the intrusion of man, is fre- 
quented by numerous sea-fowl, various species of gull, the cormo- 
rant, &c. whose melancholy cries when disturbed, are only inter- 
rupted by the resounding of the surge upon the rugged cliffs below. 
The southern portion of Bray Head appears to be uninterrupt- 
edly connected with Little Sugar Loaf ; but traces of clayslate are 
visible on the north-eastern side of the latter hill, as shown by the 
shingle in the soil. In the quartz rock at this place I found dis- 
seminated brown ironstone. 
§ 85. The stratified rocks of the Greystones uniformly range 
15° south of east and north of west, and occupy the coast for about 
half a mile, in the northern part of which space they are much 
inflected ; the compact beds varying from one to two, and two and a 
half feet in thickness, and the slaty from two to six and eight inches. 
More toward the south they acquire a regular dip toward the east 
of north, the elevation gradually increasing as we proceed south, 
from 35° to 72°. Some of these beds, both of the compact and 
slaty, are six feet thick. In the southern part of this rocky coast, 
beds of quartz rock make their appearance, sometimes slightly 
tinged with an admixture of clay slate, and alternating with this rock 
of a greenish and yellowish green colour, and these beds in the dip 
now attain the high angle of 80°. Three of these beds of quartz 
rock are four, seven, and eight fathoms wide respectively, quite 
compact in themselves, and unstratified ; but flanked by stratified 
rocks. If we could continue our researches to the southward, (for 
the coast now becomes a sandy and marly beach), it is not impro- 
bable that we should find these beds to acquire a vertical position, 
and at length assume an opposite inclination, toward the south ; a 
case of this kind being observable in the line of road between 
