191 7- Irish Societies. 71 



The most characteristic amongst the forms of seed-coat shown were those 

 of Disa grandiflora and of an undetermined species collected in New 

 Caledonia by the representative in New Guinea of Cambridge University. 

 In this undetermined species the diaphanous, netted seed-coat was 

 peculiarly attenuated, the length being more than ten times the breadth. 

 Three out of the four New Caledonia orchids, of which mounted seed 

 specimens were kindly lent by Messrs. Charlesworth, proved to be quite 

 barren. They had evidently not been favoured with the insect visit 

 necessary to ensure fertilisation. 



Sir F. W. Moore exhibited sections of two-year-old wood of Pyrus 

 floribimda var. purpurea. In this variety the leaves are dark red in 

 colour, and the bark is also very dark. The colouring matter is in the 

 cells of the outer layers of the cortex, and in the medullary rays in the 

 one-year-old wood. It does not extend to the cells of fibro- vascular 

 bundles. In older parts of the stem and branches the coloured sap was 

 more generally diffused through the tissues. 



Dr. G. H. Pethybridge exhibited the smut fungus Tilletia laevis Kiihn, 

 obtained from a sample of seed wheat from Birr in King's County. 

 Although " stinking smut " or " bunt " of wheat is not uncommon in 

 Ireland this is the first time that T. laevis has been observed to be the 

 cause of it here, T. tritici being much more common. The spores of 

 T. laevis are quite smooth-walled and are not so spherical as those of 

 T. tritici. The life histories of the two parasites are quite similar. 



NOTES. 



A new Science Club. 



In February the inaugural meeting was held of a new Club in Dublin 

 whose special object is the discussion of biological problems in a wide sense. 

 The meetings of the Club are intended to be of a very informal character, 

 being devoted to open discussion of selected subjects, exhibits which 

 involve some problem or some novelty, and occasional discourses on the 

 present state of our knowledge in branches of science. Papers in the 

 ordinary sense are barred. The membership is limited to 50, and only 

 persons actually engaged in science research or science teaching are 

 eligible. The affairs of the Club are controlled by a committee of three 

 (for the present year Messrs. Southern, Hallissy and Praeger), and a chair- 

 man is elected for each meeting. At the inaugural meeting on Feburary 5, 

 after formal business, R. Southern opened a discussion on the geological 

 and biological features of Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, and on March 5 Prof. 

 R. A. S. Macalister brought forward the subject of the chronology of early 

 man. The members who took part in the discussions which ensued 

 included Profs. G. H. Carpenter, A. F. Dixon, A.Henry, J. A. M'Clelland, 

 E. J. M'Weeney, E. A. Mettam, H. J. Seymour, and J. Wilson, Sir F. W. 

 Moore, Drs. W. E. Adeney, F. E. Hackett, J. R. D. Holtby, G. H. Pethy- 

 bridge and J. T. Wigham ; Messrs. X. Colgan, T. Hallissy, A. C. Forbes, 

 J. de W. Hinch, R. LI. Praeger, W. B. Wright. 



