gS The Irish NaUiralist. September, 



out that it would not be remarkable if this double line of migration, well- 

 marked in the fauna, should be discovered also in the flora. Let us now 

 endeavour to demonstrate that Erica stricta is another and a very remark- 

 able case of migration to eastern Ireland. 



R. Lloyd Praeger. 

 Dublin, 



' Irish Sphagna. 



County Down is probably one of the best explored areas in Ireland 

 from a bryological standpoint, but a recent gathering on and adjacent 

 to the Mourne Mountains added a few records to the county total, showing 

 that much activity will be necessary before a complete Irish list can be 

 prepared. Two varieties included in the present list and marked with 

 an asterisk are new to Ireland ; all the records are additions to Division 

 No. 38. As on previous occasions I have to thank Mr. J. A. Wheldon, 

 M.Sc, A.L.S.,for his kindness in identifying my specimens :■ — S. subsecun- 

 dum Nees, var. -Henellum W., f. brachycladum W. ; S. auriculatum Schp., 

 var. ovatum Wtf., f. brachycladum W. ; S. auriculatum Schp., var. *laxi- 

 folium W. ; S. turgidulum W., (varieties of this species have been re- 

 corded from Divisions Nos. 27 and 28, but the type has not previously 

 been noted) ; S. papillosum Lindb., var. normale W., f. brachycladum W., 

 sub-f. pallescens Wheld. ; S. papillosum Lindb., var. sublaeve Limpr., 

 f. glaucoviyens Schlieph. 



William A. Lee. 

 Rock Ferrv, Cheshire. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



October 4, 1923. — The President in the Chair. This meeting was 

 held by way of prelude to the fungus foray which had been arranged 

 for the following Saturday. A lecture on Fungi, with lantern -slides, 

 was given by M. J. Gorman, who described the characters tha,t enable 

 the different groups to be identified, drawing special attention to some 

 of the common forms likely to be met with in late autumn. 



October 6. — Fungus Foray in Howth Demesne. — A party of 

 some twenty left Amiens Street at 11.40 a.m. for Howth, conducted 

 by M. J. Gorman. The demesne proved a fairly good hunting ground 

 for fungi, and its other attractions added much to the interest of the 

 excursion. 



November 8. — The President in the Chair. A lecture illustrated 

 with many beautiful lantern slides on " Plant Life in the Tropics " was 

 given by Joseph Doyle, who dwelt on the importance of water to plant 

 life, and pointed out that the tropics were really world areas cf dry 

 vegetation, the luxurious evergreen forest covering only a limited extent 

 of ground, and everywhere soon giving way to savannah, thorn-forest, 

 scrub or desert. 



