DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 79 



taken in shoal water and sheltered estuaries, were found of larger size 

 than the same species taken elsewhere, and it might be supposed that 

 the very sheltered position of the small bay described by Dr. Earran, 

 and the soft nature of the ground, probably encouraged the larger growth 

 of these specimens. 



Professor Haughton wished to protest against an idea which seemed 

 to prevail in reference to these western rarities, viz., that they owed 

 their peculiarities of distribution, &c, to the influence of an exalted 

 temperature, due to the Gulf- stream. Experiments conducted by the 

 Meteorological Survey, under the Rev. Dr. Lloyd, had completely dis- 

 proved the existence of any such exalted temperature, the temperature 

 at Bunowen Harbour being found on experiment to be nearly the same 

 as that of Dublin Bay. 



Rev. Professor Haughton made some remarks on Euomphalus and 

 Pleurotomaria, recording a new species of Euomphalus from Sheffield, 

 Queen's County, which he proposed to call E. regince. This paper will 

 appear in full as a monograph of the Irish species of Euomphalus, in 

 the Society's " Proceedings" in June. 



The Chairman read a notice of the capture of the Death's-head Moth 

 (Acherontia Atropos) at Bandon, county of Cork, on the 6th of July, 1856, 

 communicated through the kindness of Joseph Ball Greene, Esq. This 

 specimen was captured in a loft, attention being drawn to it by its 

 cry, which was described as resembling that of a rat or weasel. The 

 species was stated to have occurred in the same neighbourhood on 

 a previous occasion. The specimen which was exhibited was a very 

 fine one. 



After the ballot the following gentlemen were declared duly elected 

 as Ordinary Members : — 



Richard Boyle, Esq. ; Yere Webb Macnally, Esq. 



The meeting then adjourned till March. 



EXTRA POPULAR MEETING, MARCH 2, 1857. 

 Rev. Professor Haughton, E. T. C. D., M. R. I. A., in the Chair. 



Professor W. H. Harvey, President of the Society, gave an interesting 

 and lucid address on " The Starfishes of Ireland, and their Relations :" 

 enteringinto the connexionsbetween theirvarious groups, and illustrating 

 his remarks by diagrams and dried specimens from the Society's collec- 

 tions, and by living examples from Dalkey Sound of the genera Coma- 

 tnla, Ophiocoma, Ophiura, Uraster, Cribella, Solaster, Echinus, &c. In 

 the concluding part of his address he alluded to the relations between 

 British and foreign genera, illustrating his remarks by specimens ob- 

 tained by him in the Society, Eejee, and Australian Islands. 



After a few remarks from the Chairman on the connexion between 

 the living groups and those met with among the fossil beds of the Old 

 Red Sandstone and elsewhere, the meeting separated. 



