PltOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



NOVEMBER 17, 1854. 

 DOCTOR CHOKER, M.R.I.A., in the Chair. 



The preliminary business having been disposed of, the donations sent to the 

 Society during the recess were laid on the table. 



Thanks having been returned to the donors, Mr. Andrews, Honorary Secretary, 

 read the Annual Report of the Council. 



The sixteenth Annual Report of the Society is now submitted ; and, taking 

 into consideration the circumstances of the last twelve months, your Council have 

 every reason to be satisfied with the position the Society maintains. The steady 

 support given by the members is most gratifying, and the interest and usefulness 

 of the subjects brought forward during the past session, the following general out- 

 line of the proceedings will convey : The first ordinary meeting of the session was 

 held in the month of December, 1853, at which Dr. Kinahan gave a paper " On 

 the occurrence of the Reddish-grey Bat (Vespertilio Nattered)." In that paper Dr. 

 Kinahan remarked on the very limited knowledge we possess of the bats of this 

 country animals whose habits were but little known and but little studied. At the 

 time, Dr. Kinahan considered this to be the second record of its occurrence in this 

 country the first being brought to the notice of the Society by F. M'Coy, Esq., in 

 1845, who presented it from G. Mangan Esq., and as the first record of its capture 

 in Ireland, having been killed at the Scalp, county of Dublin, near Enni^kcrry. 

 The specimens obtained by Dr. Kinahan were from Levitstown, county of Kildare, 

 where he, at the same time, captured the Pipistrelle bat (Scotophilus murinus). It 

 adds much to the interest of a collection, when the habits and peculiarities of 

 objects brought to notice are accurately noted, as in the instance of the paper com- 

 municated by Dr. Kinahan. The habits of the Pipistrelle bat, he observes, differ 

 much from that of Nattered ; its flight and turns are more rapid and sudden its 

 cry shriller much more wary and dodging in avoiding capture, and still more 

 remarkable from that of Nattereri by its foetid odour. The Pipistrelle appeared of 

 less common occurrence impatient, squealing, and vindictive when captured ; 

 while Natterer's bat was gentle, submitting to be handled without biting, and 

 merely gaping with its mouth, uttering a low chirp. At a former meeting Dr. 

 Kinahan had submitted a specimen of a bat, of which he had some doubts as to the 

 species ; and now, on comparing the characteristics of Nattereri, he was inclined 

 to consider its characters to partake both of Vespertilio Daubentonii, and V. 

 mystacinus, Bell. In conclusion, he submitted a local list of the animals of a part 

 of Carlow, Kildare, and the Queen's County, from the observations of F. 

 Haughton, Esq. Mr. Andrews, one of the Honorary Secretaries, then gave a paper 

 u On an Addition to the Ornithology of Great Britain." In the introductory part 

 of the statement, he alluded to the climate, geological features, and peculiarities of 

 seasons, as affecting much the geographical distribution of animals and plants. 

 The south-west of Ireland, from its extreme western position and temperature, 

 possessed many of the characteristics of the western shores of Portugal and Spain ; 

 hence, many instances of local peculiarities had been noticed in the botany, ichthy- 

 ology, and marine animals of the coasts, identical with those of the Pyrenees, and of 

 the shores of Portugal and the Mediterranean. The present notice, however, was 

 one of far greater interest than any that had hitherto been recorded as a visitor to 

 this country. It was that of the membranaceous duck (Malacorynchus membrana- 

 ceus), a native of Australia, and of rather local occurrence in that country. Six 



of these singular birds were observed, during very severe weather in the month of 

 February, feeding on the soft slob in Castlemaine Bay, county of Kerry ; and the 

 beautiful specimen which Mr. Andrews submitted was the only one shot out of the 

 flock. The continued severity of the weather prevented further approach to them 



during the time the birds were observed in that bay. Until this most singular 

 occurrence of this bird on the shores of Kerry, it was not known but in Australia. 



