190S. Proceedhigs of Irish Societies. 67 



spindles in the body walls. Here they had indications of segmentation 

 in the very first of the Metazoa. The animals showed " light" reactions, 

 due, no doubt, to the green chlorophyll corpuscles in the endoderm, this 

 being one of the few cases where plant pigment occurred in the animal 

 world. A very interesting discussion ensued, in which the following 

 took part :— The President, Miss Andrews, Prof. Gregg Wilson, William 

 Gray, M.R.I.A., Robert Welch, M.R.I.A., and Robert May. The election 

 of six new members brought the proceedings to a close. 



BoTANiCAi. Section. January 29. — W. C. Marshall in the chair. 

 AiyEXANDER Mii,i,iGAN read a paper on " Lower Forms of Plant Life." 

 The Chairman referred to the presence at the meeting of James W. 

 White, author of the "Flora of Bristol," and also to the loss which the 

 Club had sustained by the death of its old member, Richard Hanna. 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



January ii. — Visit to ihe Herbarium, National, Museum. — A 

 number of members and visitors assembled at 2.30 p.m. in the Herbarium 

 of the National Museum. Miss Knowles, who acted as conductor, gave 

 a demonstration of the methods adopted in the Herbarium in drying, 

 poisoning and mounting botanical specimens. Afterwards the different 

 botanical collections deposited in the Museum w^ere inspected 

 and then the members were taken through the different sections of 

 the Herbarium. 



January 14.--ANNUAI, Generai, Meeting. — During the earlier part 

 of the evening the chair was filled by C. B. Moffat, M.A. (President), and 

 afterwards by Dr. G. H. Pethybridge, the newly-elected President. The 

 Hon. Secretary (J. de W\ Hinch) read the report for 1907, which 

 reported a slight increase in membership and m other respects 

 a prosperous year. Among the matters referred to the most important 

 were — The publication of " Contributions to the Natural History of 

 Lambay," to which fourteen members of the Club contributed material ; 

 the holding of the Triennial Field Club Union Conference in Cork in 

 July, and the special report published on the work done during the 

 Conference ; the representation of the Club at the centenar}' celebration 

 of the Geological Society of London ; the establishment of a photo- 

 graphic survey of the Dublin district in connection with the visit of the 

 British Association; and the starting of a marine biological committee to 

 deal with the coast of the County Dublin. The Hon. Treasurer then 

 read his report, which showed a satisfactory balance to the credit of the 

 Club. After a ballot had been held the President announced the election 

 of the following officers; — President, George H. Pethybridge, Ph.D.; 

 Vice-President, A. R. Nichols, M.A. ; Hon. Treasurer, H. K. Gore 

 Cuthbert ; Hon. Secretaries, J. de W. Hinch and J. Bayley Butler, M.A, 

 Votes of thanks were passed to the outgoing officers and members of 

 Committee, the Royal Irish Academy and the Dublin Press. The 

 President then delivered his inaugural address on "Plants and their 



