138 The Irish Nahiralist. July, 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



June 6.— Geoi.ogicaIv vSkctiox.-Excursion to Irish H11.L. — A 

 party of ten members travelled by the 1.30 p.m. train to Ballyclare, where 

 they were met by a local member, ISIr. James vStrachan, under whose 

 direction the}' visited the bauxite mines. On arrival at Straid Hill 

 House the geologists were welcomed by the Mining Company's manager, 

 Mr. Furniss, M'ho verj' courteously conducted them over the principal 

 workings. They observed the typical Inter-Basaltic Beds, with minerals, 

 including Lithomarge, Pisolitic Iron Ore, Aluminous Iron Ore, Bauxite, 

 and Lignite. The Lithomarge is over 40 feet thick ; and the other beds, 

 varying in thickness from^ 15 inches to 6 feet, overlie the former The 

 Pisolitic Iron Ore passes gradually into Aluminous Iron Ore, and the 

 latter graduallv into Bauxite, with which is associated the Lignite, both 

 as underl3'ing strata, and included lenticular beds. 



After tea at Ballyclare the part}' returned to town by the 8 o'clock 

 train. 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



Galium Cruciata, Scop, in County Down, 



Hitherto only two stations, one in Fermanagh and one in Down, have 

 been known in Ireland for Galium Cruciata. Five years ago a Scotch 

 botanical visitor to Belfast collected some specimens somewhere 

 between the River Lagan and Belvoir Park, inside the Belfast City 

 boundary, but on the County Down side of the river. He subsequently 

 called on Mr. vS. A. Stewart, at the Museum, and showed his find, ex- 

 plaining at the same time as definitely as a stranger could the exact 

 locality where the plant grew. Several local botanists, connected with 

 the Naturalists' Field Club, examined the district at Mr. Stewart's sug- 

 gestion, but failed to locate the plant. This year, however, it was re- 

 found independently by the Rev. W. P. Carmody, on the 9tli May. On 

 hearing, through Mr. Praeger, of the discovery, I visited the place on 

 the 26th Ma} indicated by Mr. Carmody, and had no difficulty in finding 

 the station. Apparently only one isolated patch, about a yard in dia- 

 meter, exists in the locality. It is a fine, health} clump, and grows on 

 a piece of grassy waste ground by the side of a broad laneway leading 

 from Annadale-avenue to the boggy pastures that abut on the River 

 Lagan between Annadale lirick Works and Behoir Park. Clearly it 

 has been in existence here undisturbed for a very long time. That it 

 was introduced designedly at any time seems out of the question. The 

 forsaken-looking roadway where it grows was a private one in the 



