134 The Irish Naturalist, 



Mr. H. J. Seymour showed Foraminifera from the raised beach at 

 rortmarnock. These were got from a shelly sand w'hich occurs in the 

 field adjoining the Portmarnock brickworks, and close to the railway 

 line. The sand lies beneath a deposit of alluvium and appears to overlie 

 Glacial gravels. Only a small amount of the sand was examined, and 

 from it specimens of Polystoviella, Planorlndina, Discorbina, Lagena, and 

 Btiliniina were obtained. Of these Lagena was the most common after 

 Polystomella, and one specimen oi Nodosaria was found. 



Irish Fiei,d CIvUB Union. 



Galway Conference and Excursion. — The first conference of the 

 Field Clubs of Ireland, under the auspices of the lately-formed Irish Field 

 Club Union, will be held at Galway, on July ii to 17. The proceedings 

 will include a conference on Field Club work, and a number of excursions 

 to the most interesting localities in that famous and beautiful region, such 

 as the Arran Islands and the mountains and lakes of Connemara — districts 

 of surpassing interest to the naturalist and antiquarian, and of great 

 picturesqueness. 



Arrangements have been made for special trains and steamers for the 

 conveyance of the party, which it is expected will be a very large one. 

 In addition to the members of the four Irish Field Clubs, representatives 

 of several English scientific societies have signified their intention of 

 being present, and there can be no doubt that this gathering will mark 

 an important epoch in natural history work in Ireland. Tickets will be 

 issued to members of Irish Field Clubs at surprisingly low rates, and 

 early application for tickets is recommended, as the accommodation avail- 

 able places a limit on the number of the party. Applications will be 

 received by the Secretaries of the various Clubs from this date forward. 



BEI,FAST NATURAI.ISTS' F1E1.D ClvUB. 



March 28. — In connection with the Celtic Class, an entertainment of 

 Irish music and readings was held. The report of the Celtic Section was 

 read by the Secretary (J. St. Clair Boyd, M.D.). Readings in Irish were 

 subsequently given by Messrs. George Gibson and P. J, O'Shea. Miss 

 Cathleen Milligan, Mrs. Wheeler, and Mr. Savile Hardy contributed Irish 

 songSj Miss Stelfox, Irish airs on the violin, and Mr. Owen Lloyd, Irish 

 airs on the harp. There was a large attendance. 



In our report of the meeting on March 19, mention was omitted of a 

 paper by Prof. G. A.J.Cole, F. G. S., on the so-called "Hullite" from Cam- 

 money, in which the author expressed the view that Hullite is not a 

 distinct mineral form but only altered basic glass. The paper will be 

 published shortly in the Geological Magazine. 



Dubinin Naturausts' Fiei.d Ci.ub. 



April, 9. — The President (Mr. G. H. Carpenter, B. Sc.I in the chair. 

 Prof. E. J. McWeeney, M.D., gave a communication on a fungoid disease 

 of Mangel-Wurzel which has lately appeared in Ireland. The fungus 

 attacks the leaves and especially the succulent root of the plant, produc- 

 ing dark brown discoloration. It was first found by Dr. Franks of the 

 Agricultural College, Berlin, in Germany in the autumn of 1892, and 

 named by him Phoma beta. Prof T. Johnson, D.Sc, and Mr. D. M'Ardle 

 took part in the discussion that followed. Dr. McWeeney then exhibited 

 in the lantern micro-photographs of yeast, by Mr. Allan Swan of Bush- 

 mills, showing the spores of this plant. 



The Secretary subsequently read a paper on " Wild Bird Protection and 

 Nesting Boxes," by Mr. J. R. P. MASEFIEI.D, M.A., of the North vStafFord- 

 shire Naturalists' Field Club. The writer describes various forms of nest- 

 ing boxes and other devices, by means of which he had induced upwards 

 of thirty species of wild birds to breed in the vicinity of his house. He 

 made a strong appeal for the protection of the rarer species of British 



