40 The Irish Naturalist February, 



of it. Can we not conceive the barren dreary wastes left by the 

 ice, the gradual amelioration of the climate, the slow spreading 

 of plant life, the tardy formation of soil, the gradual incoming 

 of plant-group after plant-group, extending over thousands of 

 years, and the extinction of previous occupiers, as changing 

 conditions b}" degrees approached the present order of things ? 

 Bennie's interesting papers on Scottish glacial botany, and 

 Clement Reid's writings, give vivid sketches of scenes in this 

 long drama. I fancy that the phrase at which Mr. Colgan 

 takes umbrage well expresses the facts of the case. 



Lastly, as to Mr. Colgan's '' butterfly " — the simile of a 

 plant-army, of which the rear-guard are made to walk across 

 ground considerately left ready for them by their predecessors. 

 It appears that I was wrong in taking this passage seriously. 

 The little butterfly might have been left to pursue its innocent 

 flight. I drew attention to the simile because it appeared to 

 me to convey a misconception of an important principle of 

 plant migration. I am not an adept in the Lepidoptera, but 

 am aware that certain species are far from harmless. Mr. 

 Colgan's " butterfly " appeared to my non-entomological eye 

 to be one of these, which, if left undisturbed, might work 

 havoc in the fair garment of our scientific conceptions. 

 It would be a pity to sacrifice correctness even for a pretty 

 simile- -or semcle ! I trust m\' little dose of camphor was not 

 amiss. 



National Library, Dublin. 



NEWS GLEANINGS. 



Congratulations. 



Our congratulations to Dr. Scharff on his election to the Presidency 

 of the Concbological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 



Also to II. J. Seymour, ex-secretary of the Dublin Field Club, on being 

 appointed an Examiner in Geology in the Royal University of Ireland. 



Also to our contributor, Dr. C. F. D'Arcy on his election to the Bishopric 

 of Clogher. 



