PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 157 



pleasing to observe, that among the onerous duties devolving on Mr. Bain in the 

 College Gardens, he has directed his attention to the grasses of the country, so as 

 thoroughly to understand their character and practical value to the agriculturist. 

 Mr. Andrews also brought to notice and exhibited specimens of Trichomanes 

 speciosum, and Ophrys muscifera, which were sent to him by Mr. Thos. Chandlee, 

 of Cork, who promised to be a most assiduous botanist. Mr. Chandlee had already 

 drawn up a flora of the Phaenogamous and Cryptogamous plants of Fermoy. Mr. 

 Chandlee observes, that he was in company with Mr. Isaac Carroll, of Cork, when 

 the Trichomanes was discovered in a locality north of the County of Cork. The 

 hill on which it grew is situated on the confines of Cork and Limerick, and is com- 

 posed of conglomerate. It displays a curious formation, as if the whole hill had 

 been split, and one half sunk considerably below the other. The perpendicular 

 face of the rock thus exposed is much disintegrated, and shows many horizontal 

 fissures, in one of which, on pulling aside a tuft of withered ferns, the Trichomanes 

 was discovered in considerable luxuriance. A remarkable feature was the dryness 

 of the spot. The altitude of the mountain was about 1,000 feet. The Ophrys 

 muscifera (Fly- orchis) was found in a bog between Ballitore and Athy, County 

 Kildare. 



Dr. Kinahan exhibited a specimen of Discomyza incurva (the species kindly 

 determined by A. R. Hogan, Esq.). This fly, now first added to the Irish lists, 

 was found by him at Firhouse, County Dublin, in the shell of Helix nemoralis, 

 where the insect had evidently undergone its transformation, as, when found, it 

 was in the act of cutting its way out through the epiphragm. It was captured in 

 the early part of April, 1854. 



Mr. Williams then addressed the chairman, and said, with reference to the pro- 

 ceedings of the last meeting, and the discussion which took place relative to the 

 observations made by Mr. Ffennell on the habits of the salmon, he (Mr. Williams) 

 had received two communications from parties who had noticed the report of these 

 proceedings in Saunders 1 News-letter, and which did not agree with the views that 

 Mr. Ffennell had put forward. One was from a gentleman who had devoted much 

 attention to the subject of the fisheries, and who possessed sound practical know- 

 ledge and experience of the habits of the salmon, especially with reference to the 

 Bandon river, and that part of Ireland. He would, with the permission of the 

 chairman, read the remarks that had been communicated to him. 



The Chairman said he was afraid so much business had been before the meeting 

 that the lateness of the hour would not permit any discussion ; but, perhaps, it would 

 be better to record the statement that had been communicated. 



Mr. Williams then read the following : — 



" I consider Mr. Ffennell is mistaken in his theory, that the male salmon first 

 ascend the rivers on the approach of the spawning time, as, from close observation 

 of the habits of the fish for eight or nine years at least, I am convinced that on 

 the approach of the spawning season both male and female salmon arrive at the 

 pitting ground together, or nearly so. In the ' Bandon' the greater number of 

 the large breeding fish do not make their appearance until the middle or latter end 

 of November ; and we never see a spawning-bed on that river much before the 

 25th of December. I have seen male fish, killed in January and February, in com- 

 pany with pea- fish, and both were full of sea-lice, had not spawned, and had all 

 the appearance of having only just come up from the sea. With respect to another 

 part of Mr. Ffennell's theory, that ' the male salmon, after having their desires 

 accomplished, desert the females on the beds to complete the operation of spawn- 

 ing ;' it seems to me that he means the fish actually copulate, and that the male 

 fish impregnates the immense body of ova contained in the female (and reaching 

 in a compact mass from the vent to the gills), in the ordinary way adopted by land 

 animals — viz., by copulation. This I take to be an impossibility ; besides, if it 

 was so, why should so much care be taken by artificial breeders of salmon to use 

 the milt of the male fish with which to impregnate the ova of the female, after 

 having pressed it from her ? I have, hundreds of times, seen the pea- fish for a 

 considerable time on the pit, upon which she remained quite motionless ; at inter- 

 vals she wonld rise twelve or sixteen inches from the bottom, throw herself on her 

 side, and ' rig' in a curious way, which I consider to be the means to facilitate the 



