48 The Irish Naturalist. February, 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



Violets. 



The Journal of Botany for January contains a paper on " Some British 

 Violets," by B. G. Baker, F.L.S., of the British Museum, which tends to 

 the elucidation of some difficult plants. Brief reference is made to one 

 (Co. Sligo) Irish form. 



Irish Fossil Cephalopods. 



The 1900 volume of the Palaeontographical Society (vol. liv.), lately 

 issued, contains an important instalment — the third part — of Dr. Foord's 

 " Carboniferous Cephalopoda of Ireland." 



Marine Insects. 



In the January number of Knowledge G. H. Carpenter publishes the 

 first of a series of articles on " Insects of the Sea." He commences with 

 the Bristle-tails, or Thysanura. 



The Co. Down Railway Guide. 



The County Down Railway Company's " Guide to County Down," 

 written by Mr. Praeger, has reached a second edition. The scientific and 

 other portions have been revised to date. 



NEWS GLEANINGS. 



Honour to an Irish Geologist. 



The Council of the Geological Society of London have awarded the 

 balance of the proceeds of the " Lyell Geological Fund" to Alex. 

 M'Henry, M.R.I.A., of the Geological Survey of Ireland, in recognition 

 of the very valuable work which he has done on behalf of Irish geology. 

 Mr. M'Henry is to be congratulated on the honour which the Society 

 has conferred on him, and we need not remark that a more worthy 

 recipient would be difficult to find. 



Robert Smith. 



. With much regret we note the untimely death of Robert Smith, the 

 pioneer in these countries of the study of botany in its widest aspect of 

 vegetations as a whole, and the plant associations which compose them. 

 Inspired by the teaching of Prof. Flahanlt, of Montpellier, he commenced 

 mapping the botanical topography of Scotland, and had the great 

 advantage of the warm support of Prof. Patrick Geddes, whose 

 demonstrator he was. His death, at twenty-seven, will be widely 

 deplored. 



