1 86 The Irish Naturalisi. 



no field-work was done on this occasion : it appears to be a 

 law ot Field Club mathematics that the work done on an excursion 

 usually varies inversely as the number of members present. Perhaps it 

 is to this cause that we owe a redeeming feature of the Report under 

 review — the excellent researches that are being carried out by a few 

 ardent members of the Geological Committee on the glacial deposits 

 of the district, and in other branches of local geology. Miss Thompson's 

 report shows that the boulder- clays and associated beds, and the larger 

 erratic blocks, are being carefully examined, and some interesting 

 discoveries have already rewarded the researches of the Geological 

 Committee ; while Mr. Hoskins' analysis of Antrim glauconite, and 

 Prof. Cole's notes on hullite, are valuable contributions to our know- 

 ledge of these minerals. 



But if the Belfast Field Club is weak in its field-work, it is certainly 

 strong in a different department of its labours — that of indoor in- 

 struction to its members. Three courses of lectures were held during 

 the past winter, and all of them appear to have been decidedly successful. 

 Prof Cole gave his second geological course, " The Study of Life on the 

 Globe " ; Prof Johnson contributed twelve lectures on " The Study of 

 Plant Life " ; while under the care of Mr. P. J. O'Shea the class for the 

 study of the Irish language has continued to make satisfactory progress. 

 The geological and botanical lectures were followed by practical demon- 

 strations. These classes should serve as useful adjuncts to field-work, 

 and as a stimulus to the same, but it should never be imagined that 

 they can replace it. 



As a relief to the complete absence of botanical papers in the Proceed- 

 ings, we have the loo-page appendix, " Supplement to the Flora of the 

 North-east of Ireland," now published by S. A.Stewart and R. Lloyd 

 Praeger. This paper shows that even if work on the Club excursions has 

 been insignificant, the botanical members have not been idle when on 

 excursions of their own. It is now just seven years since Stewart and 

 Corry's " Flora " was published, and the present supplement shows a 

 goodly number of additions to the lists of plants of the three counties — 

 Down, Antrim, and Derry — dealt with in the work in question. As a 

 matter of statistics, the flora (phanerogams, vascular cryptogams, mosses, 

 and hepatics) of the district is raised from 1,169 species to 1,229; that of 

 County Down is increased by 60 species, of County Antrim by 58, 

 and of County Derry by 45. These additions include a number of plants 

 of much interest. Spiranthcs Konianzoviana is indeed a bright jewel to add 

 to the local botanists' crown ; Garex pancifiora is a highly interesting 

 addition to the list of Irish mountain-plants ; the critical Polygonum, 

 viaciilatuni is also an addition to the flora of Ireland; while a number of 

 species, such as Kannncnhis circi/iatus, Drosera intenncdia, Saiissurea alpina^ 

 Orchis py rati I idalis^ Carex aqiiatilis, were not previously known to grow in 

 this part of our country. Withdrawals and corrections to Stewart and 

 Corry's " Flora " are very few, showing the excellence and care with 

 which the " Flora " was compiled. The species now withdrawn from 



