1897.J Proceedings of Irish Societies. 1 13 



Dubinin Naturawsts' Fiei,d Ci^ub. 



The fourth business meeting of the Club for the session 1896-7 was 

 held on Tuesday evening, February 9th, 1897, in the Royal Irish Academy 

 House, the President, Professor Coi,k, F.G.S., in the chair. There 

 were 1 15 members and visitors present. The minutes of the last meeting 

 were read and signed. Mr. R. L,i,. Praeger, B.A., B.B., Vice-President, 

 then read a paper entitled " Bog-bursts, with special reference to the 

 Kerry Disaster," which will shortly appear in our pages. 



The Secretary (Dr. T. Johnson) showed lantern and microscopic pre- 

 parations illustrating the relation of the structure of the bog moss 

 (^Spkagmwi) to its water-absorbing powers, and pointed out how little was 

 known economically of Irish bogs. Mr. M'Ardi^E demonstrated the 

 cryptogams and Mr. Praeger the flowering plants collected. Mr. M'Ardle 

 also gave an account of the various Irish species of Sphagnum and their 

 habitats. Mr. A. V. Jennings suggested, by comparison with the causes 

 of avalanches of Switzerland, the weed and rock slides of New Zealand, 

 that special agencies, such as faults and underground springs, were not 

 necessary to account for bog-bursts generally. Mr. Ramage, F.I.C, 

 spoke on the chemistry of bogs, explaining the cause of their antiseptic 

 properties. Prof C01.E spoke highly, as an eye-witness, of the work of 

 Mr. Praeger and the other members of the Royal Dublin Society Com- 

 mittee, and suggested the Field Club itself might try to do something 

 in the investigation of Irish bogs, failing the more appropriate action of 

 the Government. 



The Secretary next exhibited specimens of a drift seed {Mucuna urens) 

 picked up on the shore at Kilkee (Co. Clare), and sent to him for identifi- 

 cation ; also specimens of so-called Jumping-Beans recently presented 

 to the Science and Art Museum. Mr. J. G. Robertson exhibited specimens 

 of fossil fish from the Kilkenny coalfields. The following nominations 

 for membership were read : — Mrs. W. Deaker, Dr. J. Trumbull, W. H. 

 MacMahon Phelan, and Misses Bernard, Cragg, Longford, and Wann. 



It was agreed that the Club should become a member of the Mycological 

 Society. 



Cork Naturai^ists' F1E1.D Ci.ub. 

 February 24.— Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger lectured on *' Bogs and Bog- 

 bursts, with special reference to the recent disaster in Kerry.'' The 

 President, Mr. W. H. Shaw, occupied the chair. 



Limerick and Ci^are Fiei^d Ci,ub. 



February 23.— Mr. R. Li.oyd Praeger lectured on " Bogs and Bog 

 bursts, with special reference to the recent disaster in Kerry." Dr. 

 Fogarty occupied the chair, and a discussion followed the lecture. 



March 16. —Mr. E. Tayi^or lectured on " Celtic EJcclesiastical Art." 



