g6 The Irish Naturalist. April, 



Mr. M'Ardi«E exhibited Lejeunea microscopica, Taylor, the minutest of 

 the British Lejeuneae, which he found in June last, on Mount Brandon, 

 Co. Kerry, where it was growing on Diplophyllum albicans. He also showed 

 Dr. Taylor's excellent figure of the plant, which was published in 

 Hooker's Journal of Botany, p. 97, tab. 20, when he first recorded the 

 plant as Irish, having collected it near Kenmare, Co. Kerry, growing on 

 the leaves of Hypnum loreum, 29th January, 1835. 



BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



SOCIETY. 



February 5 — A meeting was held in the Museum, when a lecture 

 was given by Professor W. B. Morton, M.A , on the subject of " Colour," 

 with experimental illustrations. 



March 5. — A meeting was held in the Museum, when a lecture was 

 given by Mr. Seaton F, Milligan, M.R.I. A., F.R.S.A., on the subject 

 "Scenery and Antiquities of Sligo. Connemara, and Clare." 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



January 21. — Mr. R. Patterson exhibited a specimen of the Common 

 Dolphin, taken off Trooper's L,ane last week, and the first recorded 

 specimen from Belfast Lough. Its length was 5 feet 10 inches. The 

 chair was taken by the Vice-President (Mr. W. H. Philips). The Hon. 

 Secretary (Mr. Gray) submitted his report as delegate to the British 

 Association at Bradford. The report gave a detailed description of the 

 origin, development, and the present modes of procedure of the British 

 Association. 



Mr. FENNEiyi/ submitted some notes on the work done by the British 

 Association, and placed on the screen some views of Bradford, and called 

 attention to the Technical School, its cost and equipment, as forming a 

 favourable model for the Belfast Institute in man)' ways. The election 

 of new members brought the meeting to a close. 



February 19.— The President (F. J. Bigger, M.R.I. A.), in the chair, 

 Mr. Henry J. Seymour, B.A., F.G.S., readapaper on" The microscopic 

 minerals occurring in sands." The paper was confined chiefly to the 

 examination of sands for mineral constituents, which still possess their 

 original crystaline outlines, and hence may be recognisable to a beginner 

 with little or no knowledge of the science of mineralogy. The classes 

 recommended for stud}- were sea sands, river gravels, and decomposed 

 rock material occurring in joints in rock masses. By means of lantern 

 slides the best types of localities for collecting were indicated. On the 

 sea-shore it was pointed out that the most suitable material for research 

 was the " black sands," which occur in patches on shores of the Velvet 

 Strand type, and while consisting chiefly of magnetite, often contained 

 other heavy minerals, many of them of considerable interest. Mr. 

 Seymour described the best method of collecting the material for 

 examination and the various precautions to be observed so as to ensure 

 that the sample is as concentrated as possible. He also described the 

 apparatus needed, and the treatment of the samples with a view to the 

 isolation and determination of the various crystals composing it. A list 



