1 9 TO Notes. 35 



GEOLOGY. 



Caves in Co. Cork. 



Ill the journal oi the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. 

 XV., no. 182 (April-June, 1909), Mr. R. W. Evans describes a brief visit to 

 the limestone caverns of Carrigacrump and Cloyne, which are still 

 almost unexplored. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



EOYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent gifts include a Patas Monkey, from Miss F. C. Tate ; a Macaque, 

 from Mr. P. G. Shilston ; an Otter, from Mr. T. M'Dermott ; a Hedgehog, 

 from Mr, Doyle; two Hairy Armadillos from Sir Charles Ball ; two Grey 

 Finches, from Capt. J. W. H. Seppings ; a Blue and Yellow Macaw, from 

 Mrs. Scudamore ; some Irish song-birds, from Mr. G. St. C. Feilden ; 

 a Mallard and duck, from Rev. Canon Brandon ; a Sparrow-hawk, from 

 Mr. P. Higgins ; and an Indian Python, from Miss Odette. 



Another Patas Monkey, and a Pied Wagtail have been purchased, 

 while a Martial Hawk-Eagle has been deposited in the Gardens. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



December 8. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethy- 

 BRIDGE (President) exhibited the parasitic fungus Rhizodonia violacea, Tul. 

 The ravages which this fungus is capable of producing have been the sub- 

 ject of study since 1728. It attacks a variety of plants, but is perhaps best 

 known as a serious enemy of the saffron-producing crocus and of 

 Lucerne. It frequently attacks garden vegetables such as seakale, 

 carrots, and also potatoes. Berkeley stated in 1879 that the disease 

 caused by it is known to gardeners in England as " coppery web." The 

 specimen exhibited was parasitic on potato tubers from Co. Roscommon, 

 and that the disease must be fairly common in that district follows from 

 the fact that potatoes affected with it are said locally to be suffering from 

 " moss burning." The life history of the fungus is very imperfectly known, 

 but it is apparently closely related to a fungus extremely common on 

 the potato, which in Ireland at least seems to cause but little damage, 

 namely, Rhizoctonia solani, Tul. During recent years it has been shown 

 that this last-named fungus is reall}' a Corticium, and it has been named 

 Corticium vagnm B. et. C, var. solani, Burt. Saccardo and others following 

 him conclude that the two species are identical, but it is doubtful if this is 

 correct. The present exhibit showed clearly the '* miliary bodies " 

 (possibly haustoria) characteristic of A', violacea, but not present in R. 

 soiani, and the characteristic sclerotia of A^ so/am were entirel}' absent in 

 the exhibited specimen of R. violacea. This fungus does not appear to 

 have been recorded before as occurring in Ireland. 



G. P. Farran showed -specimens of the copepod Copilia qiiadrata from 

 Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, to demonstrate the remarkable develop- 

 ment of the eyes and the extreme sexual dimorphism found in that 

 genus. 



