140 July, 



IRISH FIELD CLUB UNION. 



THIRD TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE. 



The third triennial Conference of the united Field Clubs of Ireland was 

 held in Dublin on June 18 to 22. The proceedings opened with a 

 reception given by the Dublin Club to the visitors at the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Glasnevin, on the evening of June 18. The party included a 

 number of members of the North Staffordshire Club, who were then 

 concluding a week's excursion to the Dublin district. Tea and coffee 

 were served in the open air, and the Curator of the Gardens, Mr. F. W. 

 Moore, F.L.S., acted as conductor to the visitors, and demonstrated the 

 most interesting features of the outdoor and indoor collections. 



On Wednesday morning, on the kind invitation of the Royal Zoological 



Society of Ireland, a visit was paid to the Zoological Gardens in the 



Phoenix Park. In the unavoidable absence of the Secretary (Prof. J. D. 



Cunningham, M.D., F.R.S.), Dr. Scharff acted as conductor, and several 



interesting and instructive hours were spent in examining the very fine 



collection of animals. At 2.0 p.m. the party were received at Trinity 



College by Prof. B. Perceval Wright, M.D., and were shown by him over 



the College buildings and grounds. Later in the afternoon they 



assembled in the Science and Art Museum, where Mr. George Coffey, 



M.R.I.A., conducted them over the Royal Irish Academy's collections, 



drawing attention to the value of the various groups of objects in 



demonstrating the principles of pre-historic chronology. Subsequently 



the members were received in the Botanical Division by Prof. T. Johnson, 



D.Sc, who showed the systematic and economic collections of plants 



and plant products. Especial interest was taken in the seed-testing 



apparatus recently installed by the Department of Agriculture, and 



already fully employed. In the evening some members visited the 



sand-dunes of the North Bull, under the guidance of Mr. J. N. Halbert, 



while others followed Mr. H. J. Seymour to the cromleacs of 



Shangannagh and Glen Druid. 



Thursday was devoted to a whole day excursion to Glendalough. The 

 party travelled to Rathdrum by the 10. 10 train, and thence took cars to 

 the Valley of the Two Lakes. Time permitted of a tolerably thorough 

 but rapid examination of the many antiquities and of the lake-shores, 

 and a very enjoyable day was spent, rain which came on towards evening 

 interfering but slightly with the day's programme. 



On Friday morning the naturalists of the party took the 9.15 train to 

 Portmarnock, whence they w?lked over the sand-hills and northward to 

 Malahide, collecting many of the characteristic plants and animals of 

 that rich locality. The antiquaries visited Christ Church Cathedral, 

 where they were met by Sir Thomas Drew, R.H.A., under whose skilled 

 guidance they visited every portion of the buildings. In the afternoon 



