88 The Irish Naturalist. August, 



July i. — Langford Lodge. — This excursion, conducted by T. E 

 Osborne (Hon. Treas.) was held when forty-six members and friends 

 visited Langford Lodge, twelve of whom were conveyed by motor boat 

 to Ram's Island. Thirty-three members proceeded at lo a.m. by char- 

 a-banc from the Old Museum to Langford Lodge. 



On reaching the little harbour at Langford Lodge, it was found that 

 the motor-boat owners considered it too rough then for the crossing to 

 Ram's Island, so the party dispersed for some hours ; the botanists 

 especially taking advantage of the respite. Some, under the leadership 

 of S. A. Bennett, B.Sc, proceeding towards the mouth of the Crumlin 

 River, along the shores of the lough where our native plants grow in the 

 wildest profusion, and though no new records were made in this well- 

 searched area, new stations were noted for some of our more interesting 

 plants. The Dog's Mercury (JSTercuriclis perennis), a rare plant in the 

 North of Ireland, though very common in England was found growing 

 in a flourishing colony— a welcome confirmation of an old record. Other 

 plants seen were the Meadow Rue, Thalictrum flavum ; Sweetbriar, Rosa 

 rtibiginosa ; Skull-cap, Scutellaria galericulata ; Cowbane, Cicuta virosa. 

 A Wild Duck's nest was noted near this in the wood well away from the 

 lough and high up in a willow tree, and a Pheasant's nest with seven 

 eggs, all of them broken evidently by some vermin, possibly by a rat. 

 Here also the zoologists hunted for mollusca and water beetles along the 

 harbour margin, obtaining many of the latter and ten species of the former, 

 the best of which were the small obese, thick Limnaea stagnalis and 

 L. palustris, and the very high-spired Valvata piscinalis so typical 

 of Lough Neagh and Lough Beg, the last being very fine in the short 

 canal at Toome. One of the conductors pointed out the two great masses 

 of fossil (silicified) wood on the lawns, usually known as Lough Neagh 

 petrified wood — an entirely erroneous term, as the lough has no petrifying 

 qualities whatever. Ram's Island was visited by some of the party, 

 who found the round tower there still in good condition. It is about 

 forty feet high still, and it is advisable that the big gap at the bottom 

 should be at least partly built up. The island is, or was, the habitat 

 of two rare and local plants, Malva moschata and Ranuncitlus Lingua. 

 Neither has been seen there since 1875. That most interesting member 

 of a relict fauna, My sis relicta, occurs in shallow water close to Ram's 

 Island, but was not obtained on this visit. The rare landshell, Zonitoides 

 nitidus, is abundant on marshy ground. 



After tea a business meeting was held, the chair being occupied by the 

 President, Rev. W. R. Megaw, B.A., who requested an honorary member, 

 R. J. Welch, to deliver an address on the special features of the Lough 

 Neagh basin, including the archaeology of Ram's Island. Four new 

 members were elected on the proposal of the Hon. Treasurer. 



The President then referred to the kindness of Colonel H. A. Pakenham, 

 D.L., C.M.G., in throwing open his charming grounds to the members. 

 A vote of thanks was passed by acclamation. 



A start for home was made at 7 p.m., the return journey being via 

 Crumlin, Glenavy, and Lisburn. 



