I909' Pfoi'ecdi}n>s of J rii/i Societies. 97 



A small gang of workmen has Ijeen placed at the Couucil's disposal 

 by the Dublin Distress Committee for the unemployed. These men are 

 now busily engaged in improving the main walk and other paths of the 

 gardens. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



Fkbruakv 10. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Prthv- 

 URiDGK (President) exhibited the fungus PhyllosUcla alro-'.onafa \'oss. , 

 parasitic on leaves oi Hellehonis in'^er from County Dublin. This species 

 has not previously been recorded from Ireland. 



F. W. ]\IooRK showed flowers of S/e/is pnbescens, a minute Orchid from 

 tropical South America. The flowers are very smalL but when looked 

 at under a low power they form a very attractive object. Many of the 

 cells are fdled with bright reddish-coloured sap, and the cells of the 

 epidermis are all raised and give the appearance of a tesselated pave- 

 ment. 



X. Coi.GAX exhibited living specimens of four species of 0])istho- 

 branch Mollusca recently added to the Dublin Marine fauna, i.e. Klysia 

 7'i)/ih\\ LiiiiaJ^ontia nic^ra, Actffonia tomt^qafa, and Riuuina Haucocki. All of 

 these had been taken in one fortunate gathering of the common green 

 sea-weed C/adop/iorn i-iiffs/n'>; made at half-tide near Bullock ori the 2nd 

 February last. P>oth the Limapontia and the Actaeonia had deposited 

 their e'^^ masses a few days after capture, and these were exhibited along 

 with tlie animals. . They furnished an interesting example of great 

 dissimilarity of form and size in the eggs of species which are strikinglv 

 similar in general aspect. 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS FIELD CLUB. 



March ir— The President (Dr. (r. H. Pi^thvuruhve) in the chair. 

 R. IJ. pR \i;(".i;r showed a series of lantern slides from photographs bv 

 R. Welch, illustrating the Lusitanian, American, and other interesting- 

 groups in the flora of the West of Ireland. Subsequentlv a discussion 

 took place regarding the natural history survey of Clare Island. 

 Co. Mayo, which is now being commenced. 



Prof. Coi.K opened the discus.sion. He stated that the Department of 

 Agriculture had given the Geological .Survey a free hand to undertake a 

 revision of the survey of the island, and that particular attention would 

 be paid to the (ilacial drifts. He stated that as yet no fossils Lad been 

 found on the island, and in consequence the age of the rocks could not 

 be known with certainty, though the} were presumed to be the same 

 age as .similar formations on the mainland. 



R. IJ.OVD Prakgrr followed with further details regarding the 

 character of the island, and the problems which it presented to the 

 naturalist. An attempt would be n:ade to distinguish the truly 

 indigenous plants and animals from those which owed their presence to 

 nian's operations, and to discover the route and period of migration of 



