i897-] Proceediyigs of Irish Societies. 139 



large public lecture on " The Building of Ireland " by Prof. Cole, were 

 also completed. A report on the raised beaches of the North-east of 

 Ireland (R. I, A. Proc.^, by Mr. R. LI. Praeger, and specimens of 

 granites from Shap and the Ross of Mull, from Mr. J. O. Campbell, were 

 presented. 



March 6.— The beautiful weather favoured the geological members of 

 the Club in an excursion over Squire's Hill. Winding round by the 

 Horseshoe Road the " Black Quarry " was first visited ; many specimens 

 of basalt Avith stilbite, natrolite, apophyllite, chabasite, and other zeolites 

 were obtained. Another quarry yielded biotite-pyroxene dolerite, and 

 in a third much interest was aroused by some curious green masses 

 believed to be the so-called " hullite " in a condition of decomposition 

 differing from the well-known Carnmoney specimens. The party des- 

 cended by the picturesque old Crumlin-road, enjo3-ing the view of Lough 

 Neagh sleeping in the evening light. Afternoon tea with Mr. and Mrs. 

 Woodward at St. Mark's Vicarage terminated a successful excursion. 



BoTANiCAi, Section. Aprii^ 10. — The Rev. H. W. Lett gave a lecture 

 ou Grasses and Sedges introductory to the study of this interesting but 

 difficult class of plants. It was well illustrated by an extensive set of 

 specimens from his own herbarium. 



Dubinin Naturai^ists' Fiei^d CIvUB. 



March 9TH.— The President (Prof. C01.E, F.G.S.) in the chair. Mr. 

 Greenwood Pim, F.L S., read a paper entitled "Strange animals, old 

 and new," illustrated by lantern slides he had made from plates in a 

 17th century natural history book (Johnson's " Historia Naturalis ") and 

 from the recently published Royal Natural History of Lydekker. The 

 paper illustrated the advisability of keeping an open mind as to the kind 

 of animal that could or not exist and the necessity of careful observation 

 of the actual specimens for accurate illustration. 



The Secretary (Prof T. Johnson, D.Sc), read a paper by Miss M. C. 

 Know^eS and himself on Seaweeds from the S.E. of Ireland. Early in 

 October Mr. Nichols and the Secretary went for a week to Duugarvan 

 and district to collect marine shells and algae on behalf of the Royal 

 Irish Academy Flora and Fauna Committee. Their work was much 

 facilitated by the arrangements made by R. J. Ussher, J. P., of Cappagh, 

 and Mr. Symmonds of Dungarvan. The week, that in which the Daunt's 

 Rock Lightship went down, was one of gales and rainstorms, and dredg- 

 ing was carried on under difficulties. The paper was devoted to the 

 results of the investigation by Miss Knowles and the Secretary of the 

 sea-weeds collected. In addition to a number of common species 90 

 species have been so far identified of which the more interesting are 

 Dermoca7-pa prasina, Spirulina siibsalsa, Hyella ccespitosa^ Mastigocoleiis testani7ii 

 Chlorochytrhwi inchisum, Bolbocoleon piliferuniy Epicladia Fhistrce, Entoderma 

 viride, Halicystis ovalis^ Gomo7iiiapolyrhiza^Streblonemavehitinum, S- solitaj'ium^ 



