19^2, Irish Societies* I9 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Recent gifts include a Nonpariel Bunting from Mr. E. H. Trousdale, a 

 Short-eared Owl from Mr. H. B. Rathborne, and a Fork-tailed Petrel 

 from Mr. W, A. K. Young. The last-named bird, captured in Co. Cavan 

 after the heavy gales of mid -November, only survived its arrival in the 

 Gardens for a few days. 



Two Puma cubs have been born in the Gardens. A Lesser White-nosed 

 Monkey has been received on deposit. A Mona Monkey, an African Grey 

 Parrot, a pair of Bare-eyed Cockatoos, and two pairs of Guinea fowl have 

 been purchased. 



The next important work projected by the Council is the establishment 

 of a hatchery and ponds for the rearing of Salmon and Trout. In the 

 carr3dng out of this work the Society has secured the co-operation of the 

 Irish Fisheries Office and the Conservators and riparian owners of the 

 Liffey. It is proposed to erect the hatchery near the Seal -pond, and the 

 work will probably be commenced very soon. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



November 5, — The Club met at Lf inster House. A. R. Nichols (President) 

 exhibited Nebela bipes and other Rhizopoda obtained during the Clare 

 Island Survey, 1909-11, and recently recorded by Messrs. G. H. Waile 

 and E. Penard in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xxxi. 



N. CoLGAN exhibited slides illustrating the radulae and jaws of the 

 marine mollusca Amongst the species dealt with were Lamellaria pers- 

 picua, Akera biillata, Pleurobranchns plumula and Fissurella eraeca. 



Professor G. H. Carpenter showed the hypopharynx of a beetle- 

 larva [Dascilliis cerviniis) on which the maxillulae, characteristic of the 

 more primitive orders of insects, are clearly to be seen. The exhibit was 

 illustrated with drawings made by Miss M. C. MacDowell, a.r.c. sc. An 

 account will shortly appear in the Quart. Joiirn. Micr. Sci. 



W. F. GuNN showed Plum leaves aftected with a disease caused by the 

 parasitic fungus Puccinia pruni, Persoon. The fungus first makes itself 

 visibly apparent in the form of minute brown spots on the under sides 

 of the leaves. These are the clusters of uredospores or summer form of 

 fruits. Later in the season these spots assume a darker colour, due to the 

 presence of teleutospores, which are uniseptate or bicellular, and attached 

 by a short hyaline pedicel. The surface of the teleutospores are minutely 

 warted, the upper cell being appreciably larger than the lower one. 

 Numerous club-shaped paraphyses accompany them. The fungus is 

 known to attack also the leaves of the Cherry, Peach, Apricot, Almond, 

 and Blackthorn. it has been thoroughly studied and the life history 

 worked out by McAlpine {Ann. MycoL, ii., 1904, p. i.) 



