1909- Irish Societies. 251 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



Geoi,ogicaIv Section. — Septembkr ii.— Excursion to Island- 

 MAGEE. — The rocks investigated belong to the Cretaceous series, and 

 comprise Glauconitic Sands, Yellow Sandstones, Chloritic Sands, and 

 Chalk. 



The mineral beekite was found on a Pecten quinqiiecostatus, and the 

 minerals levyne, gmelinite, and aualcime in the basaltic rocks at 

 Blackhead. 



Geologicai, Section.— September 25. — Excursion to Woodburn- 

 GivEN. — A fine section of Cretaceous rocks at the Woodburn river wa» 

 examined. Tlie Glauconitic Sands were well exposed in the west bank 

 of the river, but the water was so deep they were inaccessible to most of 

 the party. These beds had a special interest for the members of the 

 Geological Section, as it is to the late Professor Ralph Tate, the distin- 

 guished founder of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, that we owe their 

 earliest comprehensive exposition. A little higher up, on the west side 

 of the river, a basalt dyke was noted, traversing the Chalk, which in its 

 vicinity was converted into marble, some specimens showing a beautifully 

 bande 1 structure. 



Geologicai. Section.— October 9.— Excursion to Moira.— The 

 fine chalk quarries at Maghaberry, about three miles N.E. of Moira, 

 were visited. The first quarry showed about fifty feet of Chalk, capped, 

 by about thirty feet of rudely columnar basalt, surmounted by from eight 

 to twelve feet of Boulder cla}-. In the second quarry, two to twenty feet 

 of Bjulder clay was found, capping the Chalk directly. Many very fine 

 paramoudras were noted in this quarr}^ one in situ, measured fifty inches 

 by eighteen ; and others forming a vertical series in the Chalk cliff 

 appeared to be as large, but were inaccessible. 



In the last quarry visited at least fifty feet of Chalk was visible, sur- 

 mounted by about twent3--five feet of rudely columnar basalt, capped by 

 Boulder clay averaging twenty feet in depth. The erratics from the 

 Boulder clays included granite, gabbro, quartzite, mica schist, and Ailsa 

 Craig riebeckite-eurite ; a specimen, the last found in the first quarry, 

 measured twelve inches by seven inches, the largest specimen yet found 

 in our Boulder clays. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



May 12. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethybridgs 

 (President) exhibited the fungus Alelatwspora leucocricha, Corda, which is 

 new to the British Islands. It was found growing on decaying Cherry- 

 laurel leaves from the neighbourhood of Monaghan. 



