io6 The Irish Naturalist. 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



RoYAi. Z001.0GICA1, Society. 



The Sixty-third Annual Report of this Society, which is just issued, 

 is one of considerable interest. From the Report of the Council we 

 learn that the total number of visitors to the gardens during the past 

 year (1894), was 115,031, being nearly 10,000 greater than the total of 

 1893. The number of visitors (and, as a consequence, the receipts at 

 gate) have been steadily increasing for the last six years. There is 

 also a slight increase in Entrance Fees and Subscriptions. During the 

 year nine Lion cubs have been born, five of these being males in one 

 litter, an unusual occurrence. They have been exchanged for a fine 

 pair of Ostriches, a monster Baboon, and other animals. Among the 

 other items we note that three Pumas were born in the gardens, and that 

 a pair of the curious South African Hunting Dogs were acquired by pur- 

 chase. The Chimpanzee " Bella " unfortunately died on 15th November, 

 but the purchase of an Orang-utan has secured to the gardens another 

 representative of the Anthropoid apes. The Bovine animals include a 

 Brahmin Bull, Pigmy Indian Cattle, Brahmin Dexter Crossbred Heifer, 

 Ga3^al Cow, Chillingham Heifer, and Yak Cattle. The Aquarium 

 has been greatl}' improved, and is now very attractive. The 

 Report concludes with a catalogue of the animals now in the gardens, 

 and the usual list of members, etc. We congratulate the Society on 

 their flourishing condition. 



Recent donations comprise a Fallow-deer Fawn, from A. E. Goodbody, 

 Esq. ; a Mongoose from C. A. James, Esq., and a pair of Foxes from S. 

 Barkley, Esq. A young male Lion, sent by the governor of Harar to 

 the Queen, has been graciously presented by Her Majesty to the Society. 

 The animal has safely arrived at the Dublin gardens, and^has received 

 the name of " Victor." A Barbary Sheep has been born in the gardens, 

 and a pair of Mandarin Ducks purchased. 



4,350 persons visited the gardens in February. 



Dubinin Microscopicai. Ci^ub. 



February 14TH. — The Club met at Mr. A. Andrews'. 



Prof. G. Coi,E showed a section of Perlitic Obsidian, from Sandy 

 Brae, north of Tardree Mountain, Co. Antrim. This rock is probably the 

 most beautiful example of an unaltered perlitic glass in the British Isles. 

 Mr. W. W. Watts has recently [Quart. Jotirti. Geol. Soc, vol. L., p. 367), 

 given a detailed, description of its microscopic characters. It forms the 

 glassy part of a rliyolite, which probably flowed from the great neck of 

 Tardree Mountain. 



Mr. M'ArdIvE exhibited the perianth and capsule, with spores and 

 elaters oi Radtila vohiia, Tayl., from specimens which he collected on the 

 shores of Lough Cultra, Co. Cavan, in 1893. This is a new locality for 

 the species. The Irish plant is held by good authorities to be the same 

 as A". Xalapensis, N.M., from New Granada collected by Linding, and on 

 Tullulah Falls, Georgia, U. States. 



Mr. H. J. Seymour showed sections of Silicified Oolite found as a 

 pebble in the Glacial gravels of Glencullen, Co. Dublin. P'oraminifera 

 form the centres of the Oolitic grains, which are purple-brown in the 

 mass, cemented by white chalcedony. In section the grains appear 

 pale brown. It would be interesting to trace the origin of this rock. 

 Probably it is from some Oolitic zone in the Carboniferous system ; but 

 it is just possible that it is from a Jurassic stratum, which has been 

 entirely removed from Co. Dublin, 



