I903' Praegek. — Wo7-k of fhe Fmina and Floi'a Committee. 127 



M'Ardle, our foremost student of this group, has visited the 

 fascinating South-west repeatedly in search of these plants ; 

 also the Galtees and Wicklow mountains, Carlow, Wexford, 

 Sligo, Cavan, and Donegal. He has already reported to the 

 Academy on the results of manj^ of these expeditions (see 

 Bibliography, p. 131 below); and a comprehensive paper by him, 

 embodying the full results of his own and others' researches, 

 is just completed. The entomologists who have taken part in 

 the various excursions have by no means confined themselves 

 to the Beetles. The Spiders have come in for much attention, 

 and the collections made, coupled with the information alread}^ 

 published, chiefly by the late Thomas Workman of Belfast, 

 has enabled G. H. Carpenter to publish in the Proceedings of 

 the Academy his important " List of the Spiders of Ireland " 

 (1898). Collections have been made in all the orders of 

 Insects, the land and fresh-water MoUusca, the Mites, the 

 terrestrial Crustacea, and other groups ; ot these, the Wood-lice 

 have been published by R. F. Scharff, and it is hoped soon to 

 publish full lists of the MoUusca, the Neuroptera, Orthoptera, 

 Hemiptera, and Water Mites. The full list of Irish Lepidoptera 

 lately produced by W. F. de V. Kane renders further publica- 

 tion in this group unnecessar}'. The few fresh-water Sponges 

 which have been collected have proved of the ver}- highest 

 interest, and the addition to the Irish fauna of three American 

 species unknown in Europe is without doubt the most 

 important fact in launistic distribution which has resulted 

 from the Committee's work. (See under Hanitsch below). 



The Committee have inaugurated a scientific examination 

 of that most interesting sheet of water, Lough Neagh, and they 

 were fortunate in securing the services of William West, who 

 has now reported upon the Alga-flora of the lake and a large 

 surrounding district. 



So far we have dealt with terrestrial and fresh-water 

 organisms, and indeed the Committee's work has so far been 

 mainly directed to that section of the fauna and flora. The 

 reason for this lies not in any deliberate intention, but in the 

 fact that there is a paucity of workers at marine zoology and 

 botany — no doubt the Ulster Fisheries and_Biology Association 

 will remed}^ this before long. But the Committee have not 

 been altogether idle regarding marine groups. Shore 



