128 June, 



IRISH SOCIETIES, 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



Aprie 24.— Annuai, Meeting.— The President (F. J. Bigger, 

 M.R.I. A.) in the chair. W. Gray, M.R.I. A. (Hon. Secretary), read the 

 Committee's annual report, which referred to the work done by the 

 members during the year, including several special investigations into 

 different departments of natural history, carried on by individual 

 members, sub-committees, and at field meetings. For this latter 

 purpose the following places were visited : — Saintfield, 12th May ; Carrick- 

 fergus, 2nd June ; Tollymore Park, 23rd June ; Navan and neighbourhood 

 with the members of the Dublin Field Club, on nth, 12th, and 13th July; 

 Glenavy, 4th August ; Greyabbey, 8th September. The winter session 

 was opened by a conversazione in the Public Library, and during the 

 session monthly meetings were held, at which lectures and exhibitions 

 were given. The Committee had under consideration the desirability of 

 republishing the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club Guide, prepared for the 

 1874 meeting of the British Association in Belfast. The arrangements are 

 now in the hands of the City Committee for the reception and entertain- 

 ment of the British Association in Belfast next year. The movement to 

 invite the Association, which originated with the Belfast Naturalists' 

 Field Club, has been crowned with success, and the invitation has been 

 very cordially accepted at Bradford, and the Association will visit Belfast 

 in the autumn of 1902. The sectional and sub-committees' reports 

 were read in the following order : — The financial statement, Mr. W. H. 

 Phillips ; the fauna of Lough Neagh, Mr. H. L,auiont Orr ; report of 

 Botanical Section, Mr. S. A. Stewart; librarian's report, Mr. G. Donald- 

 son ; the judges' report, Mr. S. A. Stewart. The judges appointed to 

 examine and report on the collections sent in competition for the 

 Club's prizes recommended that Prize 8 be awarded to Mr. James Orr for 

 a set of Cretaceous fossils, including forty species, and that Prize 13 be 

 awarded to Mr. W. A. Green for his collection of laud and fresh-water 

 shells, which included sixty-eight species and many varieties. A 

 collection, sent by Mr. George Reilly, received high commendation ; 

 it contained fifty-six species and two varieties. A general discussion 

 took place on the various reports submitted, which were adopted. 



The election of the officers for the new year was then proceeded with, 

 resulting as follows: — President, F.J. Bigger, M.R.I. A. ; Vice-President 

 and Treasurer, W. H. Phillips ; Librarian, G. Donaldson ; Secretaries, 

 J. St. J. Phillips and R. Patterson, who were nominated by W. Gray, 

 M.R.I. A., the outgoing Hon. Secretary. The Committee were re-elected, 

 Mr. Gray taking Mr. Phillips' place. 



On the motion of W. J. Fennell, seconded by John Dickson, a vote of 

 thanks was passed to Mr. Gray for his services as Hon. Secretary and 

 conductor of the Club's excursions during recent years. 



The members present made several suggestions as to the new year's 

 work, and the election of several new members brought the meeting to 

 a close. 



