I897-] 1^5 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



RoYAi, ZooivOGicAi, Society. 



Recent donations include a tortoise from Mr. J. F. Darling, a Brent 

 Goose from Dr. Hudson, an opossum from Mr. H. J. Chippendale, a 

 monkey from Mr. h. H. Crozier, a Long-eared^Owl from Mr. E. Williams, 

 a Hussar Monkey from Capt. J. E. Cochrane, a cockatoo from Capt. 

 Heffernan, a Herring-gull from Mr. J. Reynolds, some newts from Master, 

 Swift Johnston, and some sticklebacks from Master Hart. 



Two Barbary Wild Sheep and two Tozenburg Goats have been born in 

 the Gardens. Six snakes, twelve Green Frogs, six toads, a female Ibex, 

 with kid, and a Great Wallaroo have been purchased. 



i6,8i6 persons visited the Gardens during April. 



Dubinin Microscopicai, Ci,ub. 



April 8.— The Club met at the house of Prof. T. Johnson, who 

 exhibited a preparation of Ascocydus orbicularis (I. Ag.) Magn., a brown 

 alga, in the form of small discs, found on leaves of Zostera (the Sea- 

 Grass). The observations of Miss Hensman and the exhibitor tend to 

 show that the species, not hitherto recorded for Ireland, is regularly 

 present on Zostera marina^ which is itself common on the Irish coasts. 



Mr. F. W. Moore showed some diseased leaves of Selaginella texta. 

 This is a rare plant, placed by Baker as a varietal form of S. involvens. 

 The points of many of the shoots turned brilliant red in colour, and in 

 some cases further growth was arrested. In other cases the shoots con- 

 tinued to grow, the leaves retaining their normal colour, but the 

 branches showing a marked constriction where the red colour had 

 appeared. Leaves in various conditions were exhibited, from which it 

 was evident that the change in colour was due to a breaking down of 

 the chlorophyll granules which lost their green colour, and assumed 

 a red tint of varied intensity, according to the state in which the granule 

 was. 



Prof. G. Coi,E showed a section of a hauyne-trachyte from I^aach, 

 Eifel, lent by Mr. T. Ryley. The hauyne appears in considerable 

 abundance, and is of a delicate blue colour. This comparatively 

 restricted silicate and sulphate, rich in soda, is here characteristically 

 accompanied by a warm brown soda-hornblende, and by some soda- 

 augite. 



Mr. M'Ardi^E exhibited Peziza {Humaria) auriflava^ Cooke, a rare 

 fungus, which he found growing on peat and moss in an orchid pot in 

 the cool orchid house at Glasnevin. The specimens shown agreed well 

 with the figure of the plant in Cooke's Micrographia^ vol. I, part i, plate 6, 



