Proceedings of Irish Societies, loi 



(2,394 feet), was next accomplished, and subsequently Slieve Meel More 

 (2,237) was scaled, and an interesting bed of massive amethyst visited, 

 which is undescribed in the maps and memoirs of the Geological Survey. 

 The route then lay along the slopes of Slieve Meel Beg and past Lough 

 Shannagh to the Deer's Meadow, where the carriages were in waiting to 

 convey the party to Kilkeel in time for late dinner. The best plants 

 found during the day were Listera corclata, Junipcrus nana, Salix herbacea, 

 Vaccinium vitis-idcea, Lycopodium alpinum. Of beetles, Carahus catenulatus 

 was taken at Hare's Gap, and G. arvensis near the summit of Slieve 

 Bearnagh. In the department of lepidoptera, Eiipithecia pumilata, E. 

 minutata, and E. satyrata var. callunaria were observed on the mountains ; 

 and Microdia schulziana, Acidalia marginepunctata, and Eiqyithecia coiistrictata 

 on the lower grounds at Kilkeel. Next morning the members drove to 

 Colligan Bridge, at the base of Slieve Bingian. Here the weather became 

 so bad, with heavy mist and pouring rain, that the majority of the party 

 decided to proceed by road to Newcastle, only three volunteering for the 

 mountain walk. The three mountaineers pushed up the Silent Valley 

 for several miles, and then climbed to the saddle between Slieve Bingian 

 and Slieve Lamagan. The weather was so excessively bad that two more 

 members dropped off here, leaving the secretary (Mr. Praeger) alone to 

 finish the programme. The solitary representative of the club visited 

 the topmost crags of Slieve Bingian in a whole gale, with torrents of rain 

 and heavy mist, and then descended with all speed. The party reassem- 

 bled at Newcastle, and the weather cleared up, and a pleasant and in- 

 structive afternoon was spent in the woods of Donard Lodge and on the 

 sand-dunes ; in the evening the return to Belfast was made. Records of 

 the second day : Botany — Lobelia dortmanna, Drosera intermedia, Rhyncosp)ora 

 alba — Silent Valley; Salix herbacea, Vaccinium vitis-idcea, Cryptocjamme crispa 

 — Slive Bingian; Isoeteslacustris, Lobelia — Blue Lough. Lepidoptera — same 

 Eupithecim as on previous day; Bupalus piniaria, common in fir woods; 

 Scodiona belgiaria, Ellopiia fasciaria. Coleoptera — Dascillus cervinus, Tele- 

 phorus pelhicidus, Rhagium inquisitor. The geological specimens obtained 

 were some quartz crystals and good specimens of felspar. 



DUBININ NATURAI^ISTS' FIEI,D ClyUB. 



The excursion to Leixlip on June iSth, did not yield many species, as 

 the pace was necessarily too fast to allow of adequate searching. It 

 proved useful, however, in directing attention to an excellent piece of 

 collecting ground close to Leixlip M. G. W. Railway Station. The area 

 in question contains several swampy places which are literally covered 

 with Finguicula vulgaris, Parnassia palustris, and Anagallis tenella; Listera 

 ovata, Orchis latifolia, Gymnadenia conopsea, and Orchis pyramidalis are also 

 abundant. In the pools, Alisma ranicnculoides was seen — a plant stated in 

 the City and County Guide, 1879, to be abundant in Dublin and Wicklow, 

 but which is certainly very seldom observed. The drier spots abounded 

 in Foterium sanguisorba. The President (Dr. McWeeney), Dr. Scharff, and 

 Mr. D. McArdle paid a second visit (on July 2nd) to this favoured spot, 

 and the former obtained the following- Fungi : — Peziza {Htjmenoscypha) 

 cynthoidea. Bull, on dead Gentaurea stems ; Puccinia molinioi, Tul, oecidio- 

 spores and spermogonia on Orchis latifolia (the spermogonia were well 

 developed on plants which had not 3'et opened their flowers) ; Uromyces 

 parnassice, D. C, CEcidiospores only found— abundantly. The first Irish 

 record of this rare species. 



The excursion to Lough Derevaragh, Co. Westmeath, on July i6th, 

 was poorly attended on account of the wet morning, but the seven mem- 

 bers who started were well repaid by a fine day. Train was taken to 

 Multyfarnham, and a walk thence through the demesne of Donore 

 (by kind permission of P. Nugent, Esq.) brought the party to the shores 

 of the Lough, which proved an excellent collecting-ground. Dr. E. J. 

 McWeeney and Mr. D. McArdle collected botanical specimens. Among 



