246 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 



Hydrelia Banktana, of the capture of which there has hecn no record 

 either in England or Ireland since 1826, except a single specimen at 

 Roebuck, near Dublin, in 1844, by Mr. James Haughton, I met with in 

 profusion near Killarney, on the 18th of June. 



Hypena crassalis and Melanippe hastaria, both usually esteemed rare 

 insects, were also observed in abundance at Killarney, in June. 



Dr. E. Perceval Wright read a paper by Charles C. Babington, 

 M. A., F. R. & L. SS., Corresponding Member, entitled — 



HINTS TOWARDS A CTBELE HIBERNICA. 



It is well known to the Society to which this paper is addressed that 

 Mr. H. C. Watson, some years since, divided Great Britain into eighteen 

 provinces and one hundred and twelve counties and vice-counties, for 

 the purpose of elaborating the geographical distribution of our native 

 plants. He excluded Ireland from his great work, the " Cybele Britan- 

 nica, ,, solely because he did not possess and had not the means of pro- 

 curing any sufficiently complete and reliable information relative to its 

 general, and especially its local Floras. Up to this date, I am not aware 

 that more than one tolerably comprehensive local Flora has been pub • 

 lished in Ireland, namely, that of the county of Cork. 



The time seems now to have arrived when an attempt should be 

 made to supply this deficiency ; for it is surely the duty of an active, 

 and especially Irish Society, to take the matter in hand, and, by making 

 use of those advantages which its seat in the heart of the University of 

 Dublin, the correspondence which it has established with different 

 parts of the island, and the active researches of its members, confer upon 

 it, to commence the work, and, it is hoped, carry it to a successful result. 

 In order to do this, it is first necessary to divide Ireland into provinces 

 and districts similar to those established in England and Scotland. As 

 a contribution to the work, I venture to submit such divisions to the 

 consideration of the Association. I should not have intruded myself 

 into a work which seems especially Irish, had it not become necessary 

 for me to subdivide the country for the purpose of recording the dis- 

 tribution of the Irish Rubi, as a part of my projected, and to a consi- 

 derable extent completed, treatise upon the Rubi of the United King- 

 dom. The extent, position, and number of the districts has received 

 my earnest consideration, and several plans have been formed and re- 



