1909 Irish Societies. 1 1 9 



series of attacked tul^ers, showing that wlieu the attack is a viruleut 

 one the word "scab" is quite a misnomer, for the fungus destroys 

 the tissues of the tuber so as to form large cavities, which at first 

 sight might be put down to the work of crows or of rats or mice. 

 In this form the term "canker" would seem to be somewhat more appro- 

 priate, and the damage done is far more serious than that produced by a 

 mere surface scab. The organism is apparently widely spread up and 

 down the west of Ireland, and experiments are now being carried out with 

 a view to obtaining a practical method of treatment against the disease. 



R. Southern showed the heterouereid stage of i\^f;'<?zi- jC^wdrZ/zVAud. 

 and Ed., from Ballynakill harbour. The sexual characters and modifica- 

 tions for a pelagic life were pointed out. The specimen exhibited was 

 taken in the surface townet, at 11.45 V '^- ^^^ June 26th, 1902. 



F. W. Moore showed seedlings of a hybrid vSarracenia in various 

 stages. The first leaf formed after the cotyledons, appeared as a minute 

 straight tube. The second leaf had the apex bent over, and was some- 

 what larger, but remained closed. The inner surface of this second leaf 

 showed numerous glands, although the leaf did not open. 



Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed a Springtail from Campbell Island, in 

 the Antarctic Ocean, to the south of New Zealand, belonging to a new 

 species of Triacanthella, a genus hitherto known only from Patagonia 

 and Tierra del Fuego. He exhibited also drawings, which, with a 

 description and an account of the structural features of the genus, will 

 be published by the Canterbury Philosophical Institute, New Zealand. 



J. N. Hai^bERT showed a Perla-nymph from a stream flowing from 

 Lough Eighter, Co. Kerry, probably Ferla cephalotes^ a species hitherto 

 unrecorded from Ireland. 



W. F. GUNN showed ''seeds" of the grass Anthoxanthiini odorahim, and 

 demonstrated the highly hygrometric property of the awns. A very 

 small loss or absorption of moisture produces active movements, the 

 seeds sometimes jumping to a distance of 15 times their own length. 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



Ptilidium ciliare, Hampe, in Co. Antrim. 



It is strange that this liverwort, which, while not a common plant 

 anywhere, has yet a wide distribution in England and vScotland, has 

 hitherto only been found in a few localities in Kerry and Cork. I was 

 glad, therefore, to find it a few weeks ago near the summit of Colin 

 Mountain, Co. Antrim, a well-worked locality not far from Belfast. It 

 may hitherto have escaped detection from its habit of growth usually in 

 single stems mixed with Dicranum and other mosses. It grows on the 

 south and west sides of the hill about 50 yards from the top. 



C. H. Waddei,i<. 



Saintfield. 



