I02 The Irish Naturalist, May, 



Miss J. Stephens showed preparations of a fresh -water sponge, 

 Heteyomyenia Ryderi, Potts. One sHde had sections of the sponge showing 

 the skeleton -spicules in their natural position ; the other had a preparation 

 of all the different kinds of spicules in the sponge, namely skeleton -spicules 

 and amphidiscs of two forms,the latter being characteristic of the gemmules. 



CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



January 27. — Visit to Technical Institute. — The winter session of 

 the Club began with a visit by a large party to the new Crawford Municipal 

 Technical Institute, which was formally opened on January i6th. The 

 members were received by the Head Master, John H. Grindley, D.Sc, 

 who conducted them through the various departments of the School. 

 A number of interesting experiments illustrating the germination of seeds, 

 the growth of plants, &c., were shown in the Botanical Laboratory by 

 John Griffin, teacher of botany in the Institute. 



February 3. — Visit to Public Buildings. — Another large party 

 assembled on this date to study the geology and architecture of some of 

 the city public buildings ; the former was explained by Professor I. Swain, 

 and the latter by Henry Houchen. The Technical Institute was again 

 visited. This building, the erection of which is mainly due to the generosity 

 of Mr. A. F. Sharman-Crawford, is in the Renaissance style. The spacious 

 entrance hall is adorned by marbles and granites, most of the former being 

 of local origin, including Ballintemple grey, Mitchelstown black and 

 white, and the well-known Cork red from Little Island. Connemara 

 serpentine and Kilkenny black are also used for pilasters. The two fine 

 columns are of Galway granite. 



St. Fin Barre's Cathedral was next visited. This fine building is an 

 example of the early French Gothic style, and afforded an opportunity 

 for an interesting comparison between the methods of the English and 

 French Cathedral builders. Excellent examples of Midleton, Fermoy and 

 Little Island red marbles are found lining the walls of the interior. In 

 the transepts and ambulatory the plinth is of Cork red, which enhances 

 the soft blue of the Italian dove marble used in the dado. The white 

 marble chancel screen is panelled with sculptured alabaster, and red and 

 green Irish marbles, lapis lazuli, Egyptian red porphyr}-, and a green 

 porphyry resembling that of Lambay, is used in the frieze panels. 



The party then proceeded to the Court-house, and here the veining of 

 the limestone so beautifully displayed all along the front and in the fine 

 Corinthian columns was shown to be due to the differential weathering of 

 the Components of the limestone, the crystalline material of the fossils 

 yielding much more slowly to the action of the atmosphere than the more 

 or less amorphous matrix binding them together. 



March 14. — Under the joint auspices of the Cork Literary and Scientific 

 Society and the Naturalists' Field Club, a lecture entitled " From Creeping 

 to Flight," was delivered by Professor G. H. Carpenter (of Dublin), at 

 the Assembly Rooms to a very large audience. Dr. A. W. Sandford 

 presided. The lecture, which was fully illustrated by special lantern 



