I20 The Irish Natu?alist. June, 1910. 



the percentage of iron is largel}' increased. In the blue basalt a 

 fluxioual structure predominates, but in the purple portions there is a 

 strong tendency to ophitic structure. In the veins three layers occur ; 

 I., composed of a chloritic mineral ; II., composed of carbonates of 

 calcium and magnesium ; III., composed of the chalcedony. A strikii:g 

 feature is the iutergrowth of II. and III. to form a white jasper. The 

 lecturer gave reasons for supposing that the vein-stuffs and the purple 

 rock were magmatic separations rather than solfataric alteration 

 products. The lecture was illustrated by specimens and microscopic 

 sections. 



APRir^ 9 — BoTANiCAi. Section.— A paper entitled, " vShort Notes on 

 the Plants of the Cave Hill and Neighbourhood," w^as read by N. 

 CarrothKRS, Secretary of the Botanical Section. The paper which 

 was illustrated b}' a particularly fine collection of plants from the 

 vicinity of Cave Hill, contained much useful information regarding the 

 economic and medicinal value of many of the plants, and many quaint 

 allusions to old-world beliefs in their magical properties. 



A description of the types of vegetation, found at varying elevations on 

 the hill, contained many valuable hints as to local opportunities for 

 ecological studies. 



Among the more interesting plants mentioned v/ere:— Za///;vm 

 Squamaria, Pdasiitics fragrans , Allium nrsiuuni, Habenania aldida, H. viridis, 

 ryrola minor, P. media, Geraniiiin pratense, G. peraine, Orobauche rubra, 

 Sisymbriiuti Thaliamim, Lithospervnmi officinale. Orchis pyrajnidalis, Botrychiiim 

 Ltinaria Hymenophylluni peltatiim and Saxifraya umbrosa. 



Aprii, 12. — W. H. PHir,i,iPS read a paper on the " Crossing of Ferns,"' 

 giving an interesting account of his own work in fern-culture and 

 hybridizing, illustrated by specimens of his best results. 



ApriIv 19.— ANNUAiy Meeting. —The following office-bearers were 

 elected:— President, R. Wei.ch, M.R.I.A ; Vice-President, W.J. C. 

 TOMUNSON ; Treasurer, W. II. Phii.ijps ; l^ibrarian, Syi^vanus Wear ; 

 Secretaries, Jean Agnew and A. W. Stelfox ; Committee, Miss M. K. 

 Andrews, Robert Bei.Iv, F. Balfour-Browne, M.A.; F.R.S.K.; N. 

 Carrothers, a. R. Dwerryhouse, D. Sc; W. J. Fennei<l, N. H. 

 Foster, M.B.O.U.; W. A. Green, H. L. Orr, R. Patterson, F.Iy.S. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



ApriIv 13.— The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethybridge 

 (President), exhibited the parasitic fungus Phoiiia oleracea. Sacc, growing 

 on a swede turnip from Kilkeel, Co. Down. Some half dozen or more 

 species of this genus have been recorded as attacking members of the 

 "^enus Brassica, and the one mentioned has been shown by Ritzema Bos 

 to be the cause of serious trouble in Holland on cabbage. The Irish 

 specimens were kindly examined by Dr. Bos, and pronounced to be 

 identical with the Phoma oleracea, Sacc, found on cabbages. This fungus 

 has not been previously recorded for Ireland. It appears to cause a 

 somewhat .slow rot of the "bulb" of the swede, bu^ in the specimens 

 examined the rot had not gone deeper than the rind. 



Prof. G. H. Carpenter, showed maxillae of the rare lepismatid bristle- 

 tail Lepidospora Braueri, from the Seychelles, pointing out the beautiful 

 "comb" of flattened spines on the inner edge of the lacinia. 



