1912. Irish Societies. 103 



pictures, included a study of the flight of insects, birds, &c. The structure, 

 &c., of a bird's wing, the difference between a bird's flight and that of a 

 bat, and many other points in connection with animal " conquest of the 

 air " were explained. 



March 25. — The Club met in the Lecture Theatre, School of Art, Pro- 

 fessor I, Swain (President), in the chair. 



Professor M. Hartoo delivered a lecture on " Mechanism and Life." 

 Having described attempts made to explain the phenomena of living 

 beings in terms of the laws of non-living things, the lecturer proceeded 

 to show how this " physico-chemical " view of life fell into disrepute 

 with biologists. 



Previous to the lecture a vote of condolence with the relatives of the 

 late Mr. Wm. Miller was passed by the members on the motion of Pro 

 fessor Hartog, seconded by Professor Swain. Mr. Miller was an old and 

 much-respected member of the Club, who possessed a wide knowledge 

 of astronomy, and kept, for considerably more than a quarter of a century, 

 a complete meteorological record for the citv. 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



Morchella conica in Donegal. 



Mr. W. E. Hart sends a Morell which, by the kindness of Mr. A. D. 

 Cotton, of Kew, has been identified a Morchella conica, Pers, The plant 

 was found by Mrs, H, C. Young growing among short grass on sand-hills 

 at Culdaff, Co. Donegal. Over a dozen specimens were seen, occupying 

 a single small area. A fresh specimen sent by Mr. Hart is about two 

 inches high, with a very short stem and long conical pileus. In Ireland 

 the species is on record for the Dublin district only. 



Dublin. R. Lloyd Praeger. 



ZOOLOGY. 



An Early Butterfly. 



On March 20th one of my men captured a freshly emerged specimen 

 of Pieris rapae flying in my yard here. It had snowed heavily the night 

 before and the wind that morning was bitterly cold, but the sun had 

 come out from the clouds and shone strongly a short time before the 

 butterfly was captured, and this may have led to its emergence. The 

 only other note I have of its emergence so early is in 1887, when one 

 emerged from pupa on March 8th, but I think this was indoors. The 

 present specimen is a female with most beautiful sulphur yellow colouring 

 on the under side of its hinder wings. 



Acton Glebe, Poyntzpass. W. F. Johnson. 



