1771. In this year were published "Letters from Lismore," an inge nious philosophical work by a resident gentleman, named Henry Eeles. The writer claims for himself the discovery of the identity of lightning with electricity. He died ten years after. In Walker's Hibernian Magazine, December, 1781, page 672, appeared the following brief obituary :

"Death: At Lismore, in the 82nd year of his age, Henry Eeles, Esq.; a gentleman eminently distinguished in the philosophical world for his ingenious letters to the Royal Society."

Mr. Eeles directed that his body should be buried on the summit of Knockmeledown mountain, which, at the height of about 2700 feet above the level of the sea, overhangs the town of Lismore. In the solitude of that vast mountain-peak, with his favourite dog and gun, his remains are laid.

1775. Lismore bridge was erected, at the sole expense of the Duke of Devonshire. The principal arch is one hundred feet in span. [Ryland.]

1784. The Duke of Rutland, Lord Lieutenant, while on a tour through Munster, held a council in the castle of Lismore, and thence issued proclamations.

1814. The late Duke of Devonshire greatly beautified Lismore. He erected here a commodious inn and offices; a sessions-house and prison; and laid out large sums in the general improvement of the place. Yet later in his life, and but a short while before his lamented decease, he rebuilt the castle, to which he paid an annual visit, making it the scene of princely and profuse hopitalities. Never perhaps, since its original erection, has the grand old pile exhibited a higher state of architectural magnificence than as it was brought to-and left— by WILLIAM SPENCER, SIXTH DUKE of Devonshire.

During repairs made at the castle in this year, the Crozier of Bishop Nial Mac Meic Educan was discovered. Along with it was a vellum MS., written in the fourteenth century, although the language is apparently of an earlier date. This tract relates the exploits of Fionn Mac Cumhal (the "Fingal" of MacPherson); and is now known among Irish scholars, by the name of "The Book of Lismore."

ON BREEDON HILL AND THE GLACIAL DRIFTS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

BY EDWIN BROWN, F.G.S., ETC.

THERE is perhaps no more striking physical feature to be seen in this neighbourhood than the isolated flat-topped hill called Breedon. This hill is composed entirely of magnesianized mountain limestone, the beds of which are tilted in the direction of a great fault, at angles with the horizon, varying from 43 to 67 degrees, at which latter inclination some beds recently laid bare may be seen to be inclined.

In this present paper I purpose pointing out a few facts of past glacial action, that seem to be indicated by the present condition of this hill. Mr. Hull says: "In the cases of the limestone hills of Breedon and Breedon Cloud, the flatness of the upper surface can only be accounted for on the supposition, that they have formed for a long time the bed of the ancient glacial sea and it is remarkable how these masses of hard rock have formed barriers to the action of the sea, on the district on their eastern sides, during the elevation of the land; for while the ground to the westward is considerably lower, that to the eastward remains on a level with the upper surface of Breedon Hills." Now I do not think this statement represents the true state of the case. In the first place, a rock cannot be said to have formed the bed of the sea when it is 150 feet above the surrounding plain, and the position and comparatively small magnitude of Breedon and Breedon Cloud rocks, forbid the notion that they can have preserved the country to the east from denudation. The height

of these two rocks is about 420 feet above the sea level, whilst Coleorton and Lount high levels reach respectively to 536 and 503 feet. The greater amount of denudation that the country to the west of the Breedons has experienced, may be accounted for by either the softer material of the strata, or by the assumption that the northern current on being diverted to the west by Smisby and Woodville Hills, scoured the strata at this spot more severely.

I had the pleasure soon after the establishment of the Midland Scientific Association, of pointing out to its members the large numbers of limestone blocks which lie scattered over the Outwood Hills, and I endeavoured to show that these were derived from the Weaver Hills, and had been transported by the agency of icebergs. A current, to deposit these blocks where they are found, must have had a direction from north by west, towards south by east. Parallel to this line certain other lines may be indicated, by which blocks of different materials have arrived at various points between Leicester and Needwood Forest. Near Leicester vast drift deposits of Lias and Oolitic material are found, which no doubt were carried on ice floes from the Liassic beds of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. At and near Sheepshead, on the north side of Charnwood Forest there occur thick beds of drift, in which so much coal debris presents itself, as to have given origin to the notion that seams of coal exist thereabout. These blocks came clearly from the carboniferous outcrops near Denby and

Heanor. In the same direction, fragments of Charnwood Forest rock are found, tailing away towards the high ground of Warwickshire, where they form in like manner drift beds. On a recent visit to Breedon Hill, I was struck with the fact that great numbers of rounded blocks of Millstone grit are built into the old walls of the bulwark which partially surround the top of the hill, and which walls are probably composed of the materials of more ancient walls which previously existed on the same spot. It seems highly improbable, that with a building material every where under foot, these grit boulders should have been conveyed from a distance, and then have been hauled up the steep incline of the hill. I examined many of them closely, and I am of opinion that they are glacial blocks, which the early inhabitants of the district found spread over the south face, and at the foot of the hill, and I am strengthened in this opinion by the assertion of a miner, that they occasionally find such blocks embedded in rubbish, in what he called "Crawholes" of the rock, here and at Breedon Cloud. These Crawholes, were doubtless fissures, which have been filled from above. Certainly more efficient rubbers for wearing down the upper surface of the hill could not have been furnished by nature, than these blocks of rough grit, fixed as they would be, beneath the under surfaces of the ice floes, which winds and currents drifted every spring across the shallow inland sea that then existed between the Derbyshire Hills and Charnwood Forest. These grit blocks were doubtless derived from the elevated spots near Duffield and Breadsall Moor, at which latter mentioned place, surface-glacial groovings are said to be still visible. On the Outwood Hills, as I have before remarked, there are scattered innumerable blocks of Mountain Lime, derived from the Weaver Hills. Finally there are drift deposits of rounded pebbles to be seen near Rangemoor, Yoxall, and on other elevated parts of Needwood Forest, which, having puzzled me very much for a long time, I am now disposed to consider as the remains of disintegrated blocks of conglomerate rock, transported from the Bunter Beds of Farley, Wootton, and surrounding districts, and which blocks having been subjected for ages to marine, and subsequently to atmospheric, influences, have mouldered to pieces and their pebbles become spread over the districts where they were originally stranded.

I have endeavoured in the accompanying diagrams (Plate XVIII), to show the present state of Breedon Hill, and what probably was the general appearance of this rock when first elevated above the surrounding plain. The upper surface must have been reduced by at least 150 feet in perpendicular height, and I do not know any but glacial action that would be competent to have produced the almost table-like flatness which the top of the hill now presents. Bergs from the north floating over the submerged rock, would grind away a portion of the rock whenever the under surface of the ice charged with blocks of stone came into contact with it; and during countless ages this process would go on so often as the heats of summer caused the floes to break up, and to leave their moorings on the northern shores. The time necessary to wear down so large a mass to the level surface which we now see, cannot be calculated, but it must