40 The Irish Naturalist- February, 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent gifts include a Reeves Pheasant, a Silver Pheasant, and three 

 Golden Pheasants from Mr. W. T. Potts, a White Cock Pheasant (first 

 cross between Common and Mongolian Pheasant) from Capt. Longworth 

 Dames, a Blue and Yellow Macaw from Miss C. P. Widdup, a pair of 

 Swans and a Canadian Goose from Major Cusack, a Hawk from Mr. 

 Johnston, a Cub Otter from Mr. Macdermott, and a Budgerigur from 

 Miss MacDonnell. An East African Galago, two Badgers, an Eagle, and 

 a Peregrine Falcon have been acquired b}- purchase. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



December it.— The Club met at Leinster House, Dr. G. H. Pp:thv- 

 BRIDGE (Vice-President) in the chair. 



W. F. GuNN exhibited a specimen of Japanese wood paper. This 

 paper is made from very thin la3-ers of wood super-imposed and 

 cemented on sheets of thin ordinar}' paper, and gives a surface with the 

 appearance of polished timber. The combined thickness of the two 

 layers is about -^\q of an inch, and, assuming that each layer is of equal 

 thickness, would give a thickness of about gig for the upper layer of 

 wood. The species of wood used in the preparation of the paper was 

 not ascertained, but the distance between the annual rings indicates 

 that it is one of rapid growth, and possessing few vessels. Small por- 

 tions mounted in balsam make excellent microscopic slides, 



J. N. HalberT showed the common green Hydra {Hydra viridis) 

 found among moss in a rapid stream, at a considerable elevation on 

 Kilmashogue Mountain, Co. Dublin. Such a locality is rather imusual 

 for this species. 



R. Southern showed a specimen of the polychaet worm, Dasychone 

 bonibyx (Johnston), which was dredged from several localities in Dublin 

 Bay. The most striking characteristic of this species is the presence of 

 numerous compound eyes on the tentacles, which form a crown round 

 the head of the worm. This species is widely distributed in the North 

 Atlantic, but has not yet been recorded from Irish waters. 



Dr. G. H. PeThybridge exhibited a mildew, Erysiphe tortilis (Wallr.), 

 Fr., in its perithecial stage, found parasitic on the leaves of a species of 

 Cornus, probably C. sani^tiinea, growing at the Albert College, Glasnevin. 

 This is the first record for this fungus in Ireland. 



F. W. Moore exhibited Sphaerella Taxi^ Cooke, a fungus which is 

 found growing on yew trees. It is said to grow only on dead leaves, and 

 not to be a destructive fungus, a view which the exhibitor could not 

 accept. He showed dead leaves, and also healthy green leaves, with 

 Spaerella Taxi on them in various stages of development. Exhibitor had 

 found it in Counties Kildare, Louth, and Dublin, and in each instance 

 the symptons of the attack were similar. 



