19 1 9- Irish Societies. 41 



kind may tend to advance both in art and in the study of Natural History. 

 The classes proposed are — (i) Sculpture, including modelhng, carving, 

 &c. ; (2) Drawing and Painting ; (3) Designs for Decorative Art from 

 Animal Forms. All work must be done from live models, but not 

 necessarily in the Zoological Gardens. Full conditions of the competitions 

 may be obtained by application to the Secretary, and a circular embodying 

 the Rules will shortly be sent to Schools of Art throughout the country. 

 It is proposed to hold in October, 1919, an exhibition in the Haughton 

 House of the sculptures, paintings, drawings and designs submitted by 

 the candidates. 



The adoption of the Report was seconded by C. Wisdom Hely, and 

 carried, and the Officers and Council, as nominated, were declared elected. 



A. Miller made a statement with regard to the proposed Summer 

 Fete, and Prof. J. A. Scott delivered an interesting lantern lecture on 

 Birds now and formerly in the Society's collection. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



January 8. — The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. G. H. Pethybridge 

 exhibited specimens and microscopic slides illustrating the disease known 

 as " firing " in flax, from material collected at Garvagh and Dunmurry. 

 Although this term is used somewhat indiscriminately in the North of 

 Ireland for more than one specific disease of the flax plant, yet, in the 

 main, it is applied to cases of attack by the rust fungus, Melampsora lini, 

 or an allied species. The uredospores occur as orange-coloured pustules 

 on the leaves and stems, and in this stage the disease is generally called 

 " rust." The teleutospore stage causes the development of black areas 

 on the stems, frequently encircling them, and extending to half an inch 

 or more in length. The development of these blackened areas on the flax 

 stems seriously interferes with the production of fibre from them ; and 

 they are said to be " fired." W. B. Grove, in " The British Rust Fungi," 

 1913. P- 357. says, " fortunately the parasite seems not to occur in the 

 Irish flax-fields," but this statement now requires modification. It cer- 

 tainly does occur ; but reliable information as to its distribution and 

 economic importance in this country has yet to be obtained. M, lini 

 is quite common on Linum catharticum in Ireland, but it seems probable 

 that the species of Melampsora which occurs on cultivated flax (L. 

 usitatissimum) in Ireland as elsewhere is not identical with that found 

 on the Purging Flax. Possibly it may be M. liniperda Koenicke, but the 

 point requires investigation, and it is hoped that more light will be thrown 

 on the matter during the coming year. 



D. McArdle exhibited Lejeunea ovata Tayl., a very minute plant, of a 

 pale yellow colour, the leaves have the apex of the antical lobe accuminate, 

 A^ith peculiar under-leaves or stipules deeply divided, almost triangular. 



