1 899.] Proceedings of Irish Societies, 23 



Ireland has a most interesting community of plants for this reason, that 

 it contains such a variety of rocks. Mosses are an even better guide 

 than seed-plants to the kind of rock on which they grow, and a 

 bryologist ought to be able to tell the kind of rock from the mosses 

 which grow on it. There is a striking difference between the basaltic 

 and limestone flora of County Antrim, and the Silurian or granite flora 

 of County Down. At the close of the lecture Mr. J. H. Davies called 

 attention to the chief features of the new Cybele Hibernica, an important 

 addition to Irish botanical literature, and said that the authors are to be 

 heartily congratulated on their successful achievement on having 

 produced a work of great excellence, in which is set forth with care and 

 accuracy the present state of our knowledge of Irish topographical 

 botany. Mr. S. A. Stewart said that the very thoughtful and instructive 

 address to which they had just listened was a type of what the address 

 of the President of a Naturalists* Field Club should be. He was glad to 

 see that so much interest was now evinced in the flora of the North of 

 Ireland, and that many young and capable hands were coming forward 

 to carry on the work of botanical research in our district. 



November 19. — The first meeting of the Botanical section was held 

 and was very well attended. The evening was devoted to a general 

 introduction to the study of the grasses, the subject chosen for special 

 study by the section this winter. 



Dubein Naturaeists 1 Fieed Ceub. 

 November 8. — Dr. N. H. Aecock in the chair. Forty members were 

 present. Dr. T. Johnson, F.LS , gave an account of the Irish 

 Characese— a group of green algse well represented in the Irish flora. 

 The paper was illustrated by fresh and herbarium specimens, by lantern 

 and microscope. The group is of some economic interest owing to the 

 chalk incrustations of some species. It has also considerable biological 

 interest, and was recommended as an excellent hobby for a field 

 naturalist. We understand the paper will appear in detail in an early 

 mimber of the Irish Naturalist. This paper was followed by a valuable 

 discussion of the recently published second edition of the Cybele 

 Hibernica. Members generally expressed their high appreciation of the 

 value of the work, and of the painstaking care and skill with which 

 Messrs. Cok r a:i and Scullv had edited the second edition, as left to their 

 charge with his manuscript notes by the late A. G. More. The meeting 

 gave fitting expression to its views in the following resolution 

 unanimously adopted: — The Dublin Naturalists' Field Club con- 

 gratulates the Editors, Messrs. Colgan and Scully, two of its oldest 

 members, on their successful completion of the second edition of the 

 Cybele Hibernica, and is convinced that this edition will have the same 

 stimulating effect on Irish field botany as the first edition, of which the 

 authors were the late Dr. D. Moore and Mr- A. G. More. 



Mr. F W. Moore. M R.I. A., in proposing this resolution, said he had 

 only one fault to find with the work, and that was the unfortunate, but 

 he believed unintentional, omission from the title-page of the name of 

 one of the authors of the first edition— his father, the late Dr. D. Moore. 



