1^23. Irish Societies. to3 



Water-Crowfoots, Bur-reeds, etc. But in most cases, of 

 course, the main migration-stream has brought to Switzer- 

 land species which have not succeeded in batthng their 

 way across Europe to its most western outpost — Ireland. 



Dublin. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



July 21. Excursion to Loughinisland.—- About sixty members and 

 visitors of the Club had a run by motor coach to Loughinisland and its 

 three old churches, passing and inspecting on the way the fine dolmen 

 (cromlech, so called in Ireland and Wales) at Annadorn, which was well 

 " snap-shotted " by some of the party. 



The conductor, Mr. S. M. Macoun, here called on a member to describe 

 how a portion of the great capstone of the dolmen came to be blasted off 

 many years ago, the blasted part going through the roof of the house 

 occupied by the would-be destroyer who then ceased his operations. The 

 members present considered it a pity the house suffered instead of himself. 



Arriving, at Loughinisland, the party scattered, the zoologists and 

 botanists to the lake shore and the antiquaries to the three churches, 



Mr. R. W. H. Blackwood, J. P., a club member, now joined the party and 

 acted as local conductor for this area and Seaf orde, giving much information 

 about the history of the churches and parish generally. 



Some large specimens of Limnaea palnstris were collected on the lake 

 shore, and a centrally keeled and typical Planorbis carinatus, very 

 local in N.E. Ireland, those of the Lough Neagh basin being non-tj-pical. 

 The botanists found a specimen of the House-leek near the lake shore, 

 and a patch of very tall Great Water- dock {Riimex Hydrolapaihum), some 

 plants of which measured over six feet high, with some leaves a yard long, 

 . the first of a number of very tall plants collected later in the day. 



Leaving the deniesne, the church, now 200 years old this year, was in- 

 spected, and the motors taken to Drumcaw cairn and cist, on the farm of 

 Mr. S. Burke, J. P., who kindly described the stone-lined grave in the 

 centre of the cairn — its contents, and urn, etc., which passed into the 

 hands of late Canon Grainger, D.D. 



Soon Clough Old Castle on its dun was passed on the way to Down- 

 patrick, where the party were well looked after at Denver's Hotel, as on 

 many visits during the last half-century. After tea a business meeting, 

 with F. A. Heron, D.L., in the chair was held when twelve new members, 

 nine senior and three junior, were elected, and votes of thanks passed to 

 Mrs. Forde, Mr. Blackwood, and Mr. S. Burke. 



