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PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAI, ZOOIyOGICAI, SOCIETY. 



Recent donations comprise fourteen lizards from J. A. Abbott, Esq. ; 

 a Heron from Master Monson; a Syrian Rat from H. Napier, Esq.; a 

 Parrakeet from C. R. C. Tichborne, Esq.; two Guinea-pigs from the 

 Misses Ponsonby ; a Monkey from S. Grey, Esq. ; a Peregrine Falcon 

 from J. Deane, Esq. ; and a Gannet from F. C. Wallace, Esq. A Grizzly 

 Bear and two Angora Goats have been purchased. About i6,ooq persons 

 visited the Gardens in August. 



BElvFAST NATURAI^ISTS' FIEI.D CI,UB. 



August 13th. — Half-day excursion to Giant's Ring and Drumbo. A 

 party of over sixty drove out and visited the interesting prehistoric site of 

 Giant's Ring, and the ruined round tower at Drumbo. 



August 27th. — Excursion down the Lagan Canal. A party of no less 

 than 120 took train to Moira, where horses and boats were waiting, by 

 aid of which a delightful water-journey of twenty miles was made back 

 to Belfast. A prize for the best collection of aquatic plants was won by 

 Mr. R. Hanna. Among the best species obtained during the day were 

 Acorus calamus, GiciUa, Butomus, Sagittaria, Hypericum dubium, Equisctum 

 hyemale, Orthotrichum sprucci. 



September loth. — Half-day excursion to Knockagh, when a large 

 party spent an instructive afternoon examining the cliffs and slopes of this 

 fine basaltic hill. The season was far advanced for botanising, but some 

 good plants were obtained. 



DUBININ NATURAWSTS' FIEI.D CI^UB. 



September 3rd. — Twenty-four members joined the excursion to Dalkey 

 Sound and Island. A high wind and rough sea rather interfered with the 

 dredging operations, but several hauls were taken off the southern shore 

 of the island. A number of common hj'droids, pol^^zoa, and shells were 

 obtained; noteworthy captures were two perfect specimens of the small 

 bivalve Astarte triangularis, Mont. ; this shell is local and rare on the Irish 

 coasts. Thompson mentions that a single living specimen was obtained 

 at Dalkey by dredging in 1840, and this is the onl)^ record given in the 

 " British Association Guide to the Fauna of Dublin, etc." 1878. Turton, 

 however, has recorded the var. minutissima, Max., from Dublin Bay and 

 Portmarnock. Among numerous common echinoderms, two young spe- 

 cimens of Solaster 2)apposa, L., were remarkable, each about 5 in diameter. 

 One of the specimens has thirteen ra^^s, but the other only eleven, which 

 is an unusual number for this species. The pygnogonid, Nymphon rubrum, 

 Hodge, was dredged ; this species does not seem to have been before re- 

 corded in Irish waters, it has been found off the Norwegian and northern 

 British coasts. 



The botanical results of the excursion are given in Mr. McArdle's paper 

 (p- I33)' Oil account of the high wind, there were hardly any insects 

 stirring, but, considering the small size of the island and the absence of 

 wood, the spider- fauna was found to be varied; Epcira diaclemata and Zilla 

 atrica had their webs on the faces and in the clefts of the granite rocks, 

 the latter species being singularly abundant; Lcphthypliantes tcnebricola and 

 Amaurohius fencstralis occurred sparingl}'; but it was hardly possible to 

 turn over a stone without finding Textrix denticulata. The only harvest- 

 man observed was Phalangium ojnlio. 



The members were kindly entertained at tea by Mr. T. H. Webb, and 

 a microscopic demonstration of some of the species obtained was after- 

 wards given by Prof. Haddon. 



