238 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



the necessity of investigating closely all statements made of cases of the latter, 

 that, when he was a boy, an old relative, and very acute sportsman, on a discus- 

 sion on the subject arising, said, " I often got swallows in winter asleep in a dark 

 cave, and brought out clusters of them." This statement having awakened Dr. 

 Ball's attention, he asked the old gentleman what kind of swallows they were ; he 

 seemed annoyed as if a doubt of his veracity was raised, and said, " I do not know 

 whether they were swifts or martins, they were the fellows with the leathern wings, 

 that's all I can tell (bats, of course)." Dr. Ball remarked, that .another relative 

 had told him that, when a midshipman, off the coast of Africa, a very large num- 

 ber of martins covered the rigging of the ship ; of these he captured a considerable 

 quantity, which he stowed away in the binacle. The old functionary, whose busi- 

 ness it was to light the lamps at sun-down, on opening the door of the binacle, was 

 astounded by the flight of swallows into his face, and fell back, upsetting his oil, 

 &c. The youngster was mast-headed for the freak. 



After some interesting conversation, in which Dr. Allman, Mr. Dowden, Dr. 

 Kinahan, and others, took a part, the Rev. Joseph Greene read the concluding por- 

 tion of his 



LIST OF LEPIDOPTERA HITHERTO TAKEN IN IRELAND, AS FAR AS THE END 

 OF THE GEOMETR03. 



NOCTtLE. 



Semaphora psi. Common. 



„ tridens. This insect, in Mr. Tardy 's collection, is psi. 

 *Apatela leporina. 

 Acronycta magacephala. Pupae, under moss on poplars. 



„ rumicis. Bred by Mr. Hogan and Mr. Shield, and at Kingstown. 

 *Ceropacha diluta. (?) 



* „ flavicornis. A fine specimen in Mr. Tardy's collection. 

 „ or. Dr. Ball. 



„ duplaris. Dr. Ball. 



„ ocularis. I took one pupa of this rare and beautiful insect, at the 

 roots of an oak, in Powerscourt Demesne. 

 Bryophila perla. Mr. Tardy's collection. 

 Caradrina cubicularis. Common. 



„ blanda. Common. 

 Grammesia trilinea. Mr. Tardy's collection ; Mr. Haughton. 

 Leucania lithargyria. Mr. Tardy's collection; Mr. Hogan (Charlton), and at 

 Kingstown. 

 „ conigera. Mr. Tardy's collection. 

 „ pallens. Generally distributed. 

 *Leucania impura. (?) 



* ,, comma. 



*Nonagria phragmitidis. (?) Near Belfast. 

 „ fulva. Mr. Tardy's collection. 



„ extrema. (?) 

 „ typhae. Mr. Bristow. 



Gortyna micacea. Kingstown. 

 „ flavago. Mr. Bristow. 

 Hydraecia nictitans. Mr. Tardy's collection. 



„ leucostigma. Belfast Museum. 

 Miana furuncula. Generally distributed. 

 „ fasciuncula. Do. do. 



„ strigilis. Do. do. 



„ literosa. Mr. Bristow, Mr. Tardy's collection, and at Kingstown. 

 Apamea didyma. Common. 



„ ophiogramma. One fine specimen in Mr. Tardy's collection. 

 „ gemina. Mr. Tardy's collection. 

 Luperina infesta. Do. do. 



* furva. Belfast Museum. One specimen at Kingstown. 



