1^97. J Proceedings of Irish Societies, 169 



Cork Naturai^ists' Fiei,d CIvUb. 



March 2.~Mr. R. A. Phii^i^ips delivered a lecture in the Library of 

 the School of Art on " Collecting, Preserving, and Identifying Plants." 

 The President (Mr. W. H. Shaw, M-B., J-P.). occupied the chair, and 

 there was a good attendance of members. Mr. Phillips described at 

 length the various ways of drying and mounting plants, illustrating his 

 remarks by an exhibition of specimens, and impressed on his audience 

 the necessity for taking full and accurate observations with regard to 

 plants which they would be collecting, as without such records 

 specimens are, from a scientific point of view, useless. He also dwelt 

 on the pleasure to be derived from the possession of an herbarium 

 which, on looking over, brings back to the collector's mind many 

 pleasant recollections of his journeys in search of specimens. 



March 9.— Mr. R. A. Phii^lips lectured on *' Rare and Characteristic 

 Plants of Co. Cork." The chair was occupied by the President (Mr. W. 

 H. Shaw, M.B., J.P.), and there was a large attendance. The lecturer 

 first dealt with the importance of studying the topographical and 

 geographical distribution of plants as a means of obtaining a knowledge of 

 the past history of species and of throwing some light on the geological 

 problems of the present day. He then described the features of the 

 flora of Cork as contrasted with that of other parts of the British Isles, 

 illustrating his remarks with specimens of flowering plants and 

 crj'ptogams, selected from his herbarium, which were arranged in 

 groups under Watson's "types" of distribution — Hibernian, Atlantic, 

 Germanic, English, Highland, &c. — indicating briefly the geographical 

 range and other peculiarities of each species. The lecture was much 

 appreciated, many of the audience taking notes, and it is hoped will 

 have the effect of arousing among members an interest in the flora of 

 one of the richest botanical districts in the British Isles. 



Aprii, 13. — The Fifth Annual General Meeting was held in the Library 

 of the School of Art, Mr. Denham Franwn, J.P., in the chair. 



The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and signed, 

 Mr. CoPEMAN (Hon. Sec and Treas.) read the annual report, of which 

 the following is an abstract : — 



The Committee are pleased to report a steady increase during the past 

 year to the ranks, the membership now standing at 58 as against 52 for 

 the previous year, which, with five honorary members, makes a total of 

 63. Four members have resigned during the year, and ten new members 

 have joined, making the nett gain six. The following ten excursions 

 were made during the year, one only being interfered with by bad 

 weather. May 2. — Fota, attended by over fifty members and friends. 

 May 30. — Douglas, Ballyphehane Bog, and Vernonmount. June 10,—. 



