84 The hisii Naturalist. March, 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



January 14. — The Chib met at lyeinster House. 



Dr. SCHARFF exhibited the skull of a Horse found in a bog, and 

 demonstrated the structure of the enamel pattern seen in the molar and 

 premolar teeth. He also pointed out the presence of the very minute 

 loop near the inner crescent of the teeth, which was very clearly 

 marked in this specimen, and which is absent in the teeth of the A.ss. 

 This feature is of importance in the distinction of the two species, 

 when, as is often the case, the presence of either of them has to be 

 established by the evidence of their teeth alone. 



Mr. M'ArdIvK exhibited a portion of the curious Hepatic, Trichocolea 

 tomentella, Ehrart, Dumort., which he collected in a wood near Milford, 

 Co. Donegal, last year. It is frequently found growing in considerable 

 patches on damp rocks and banks in woods, and near waterfalls, as at 

 Killarney ; but is nowhere common. The leaves on the main stem 

 are distant, while those on the branches are imbricated ; they are 

 divided almost to the base into two segments, and these are again 

 divided and sub-divided into numerous setaceous processes ; the stipules 

 are divided in a similar manner, and under the microscope the plant 

 presents the appearance of an alga of the genus Cladophora or Batracho- 

 spernnini. The perianth is fleshy, and the epidermis covered with 

 capillary-branched hairs In Britain it is extremely rare in fruit ; 

 but it is common in North America, where it fruit freely. 



BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



SOCIETY. 



February 3. — Robert Young, Vice-President, in the chair. The 

 following papers were read: — "The Micro-fauna of the Boulder clay, 

 with some remarks on the movements of glaciers^" by Joseph Wright, 

 F.G.S. ; and " Notes on some igneous rocks in Down and Antrim," by 

 Mary K. Andrews. The former paper was illustrated by tables, dia- 

 grams, and lantern slides, and the latter by lantern slides, specimens, 

 and microscopic sections. 



Mr. Wright, in the course of his paper, said Boulder clay was a stiff, 

 compact clay, containing usually numerous boulders as well as smaller 

 stones, the greater proportion of which were more or less rounded, 

 their surface being often striated. It formed the sub-soil of the greater 

 part of this country. It occurred at all elevations, from the sea-level to 

 a height of upwards of 1,500 feet above the sea. Foraminifera had been 

 found at many places in the clay. He had examined samples of it from 

 134 localities — from Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, 

 Canada, and Nova Zenibla — and in 105 of these foraminifera had been 

 found. In some places they were rare ; in others they were abundant ; 

 but their presence was demonstrated in three-fourths of the instances. 

 With one or two exceptions, all the species found in the clay occurred 

 recently off their coast, the fossil specimens having usuall}' the lustrous 



