52 The Irish Naturalist. March, 



several years had been allowed much liberty around the lakes, and often 

 provided an instructive spectacle to visitors as they swam or walked. 

 A Great Ant-Eater was acquired in September ; it lived for some time 

 liappily in the Monkey House, and its habits — especially at feeding time, 

 when the long tongue came into play — were a source of much interest. 

 Unfortunately, it died of enteritis in November. 



Dr. MacDowel Cosgrave (Hon. Treasurer) seconded the adoption 

 of the Report and Accounts, which were unanimously passed. 



The Otficers and Council for 191 7 were then elected : — President, Sir 

 Frederick Moore ; Hon. Treasurer, H. F. Stephens ; new members of 

 Council, Col. C. Cane, J. IL Ceoghegan, and A. Maude. 



Sir F. Moore, the new President, then took the chair, and appealed 

 to the members present for support in the varied activities of the Societ}*. 



Prof. J. Alfred Scott gave an account of some of the animals now 

 and formerly in the Gardens, with an excellent set of photographic lantern- 

 slides in illustration. 



Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, LL.D., of Aberdeen Univcrity, \\as unani- 

 mousl}' elected an Honorary Member of the Society'. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



December 19. — An address was delivered by A. Deane on " The 

 Childhood of Art " as manifested in tlie works of the stone age of man. 

 Professor Yapp occupied the chair. An animated discussion followed, 

 in which Professor Yapp, Dr. Charlesworth, Mr. Cleland, and Mr. Milligan 

 took part. 



January 16. — N, H. Foster read a paper on " The Mourne 

 Mountains." The chair was occupied by the President (Major A. \i. 

 Dwerryhouse). Mr. Foster said that theMourneMountains formed the most 

 elevated land in Ulster, and covered an area of about 14 x 7 miles. They 

 were in the main composed of a tough grey granite, but in several of the 

 peaks the old Silurian rock had been lifted with the outflow and now 

 capped the underlying granite. He then proceeded to describe some 

 \\alks which could be undertaken, and in spealdng of the Castles of Comme- 

 dagh— a wonderful natural feature — said it was strange that so few of 

 Newcastle's visitors had ever viewed this wonderland, which was within 

 two hours' walking of the town. In a granite area the flora and fauna 

 were as a rule poor in number of species, but in the Mourne district 

 several of our rarer plants were to be found. In speaking of the fauna 

 he said that in the recesses of these mountains the Fox and the Badger 

 still lurked, whilst the Pine Marten had been observed in Tollymore Park 

 and in Donard dem.csne. Our only Irish reptile, the Viviparous Lizard, 

 had been recorded from here. Of the birds frequenting the district ]VIr. 

 Foster had many things to recount, including the capture at Greencastlc 

 some years ago of a specimen of the Antarctic Sheathbill — unique in the 

 northern hemisphere. The paper was illustrated by 60 lantern slides. 



