46 The Irish Nafiiralist. [Pebruaiy, 



BoTANiCAT, Section.— Deciomrer t6.— An instructive lecture was 

 given by Rev. Canon H. W. Lett, on '• Sedges," which was fully 

 illustrated by specimens from his own collection. He drew particular 

 attention to the species most likely to be confounded, and showed the 

 distinguishing marks. Some species might still be overlooked in the 

 district for this reason, such as Carcx paucijlora^ which he found in one 

 locality in Co. Antrim a few years ago, and which Mr. Adams has lately 

 gathered in another place nearer Carnlough. 



Cork Naturai^ists" Fiei^d Ci,ub. 

 December 6.— Mrs. Brooke-Hughes delivered a lecture entitled 

 " vSome By-paths of Science." Mr. T. Farrington, M.A., presided, and 

 there were many present. The Chairman, in introducing Mrs. Hughes, 

 wished to inform them that in a competition for the preparation of 

 botanical specimens by the proprietors of CasseWs Magazine, there had 

 been seven prizes won by Cork people, which was a larger number than 

 an}' other city of the United Kingdom outside London could boast. 

 Mrs. Brook-Hughes then proceeded with her theme, which was both 

 entertaining and instructive. She related trips to several parts of the 

 South and West of Ireland, and recounted the different floral and 

 eeoloeical features of the several places. She also referred to some of 

 the peculiarities by which the instinct of birds and insects was made 

 manifest. The lecture was illustrated by Mr. J. Bradshaw. The pro- 

 ceedings closed with a warm vote of thanks to Mrs. Hughes. 



Dubinin Microscopicai, Ci^ub. 



December 21.— The Club met at Leinster House. Mr. F. W. Moore 

 showed leaves from the ovary oi Arachnanthe Lowii, a remarkable Orchid 

 from Borneo, which recently flowered in the collection at Glasneviu' 

 There were six racemes, varying in length from six feet to eight feet two 

 inches, and the ovaries of all the flowers were covered with a dense, brown, 

 moss-like pubescence. The hairs composing this pubescence were large, 

 compound, much branched, composed of many cells, and closely 

 crowded together. 



Professor Scott showed crystals of egg-albumen prepared by Hopkins's 

 modification of Hofmeister's method. The crystals appeared as fan- 

 shaped bundles of acicular crystals or spheres, composed of a great 

 number of such. 



Mr. M'ArdIvE exhibited the mother-spores of Lejeiinea Rossettiana, 

 which were found in the lower part of the capsule, where the}' occur in 

 circular discs. The young spores present two forms, oblong-cuneate and 

 oblong-elongated ; about twelve occupy the outer part of the circle, with 

 four in the centre, all enclosed in undulating delicate tissue, called the 

 anhisporhmi, which also envelopes the young spores, which are of a 

 bright green colour, with delicate granular markings on the exosporium. 



Mr. H. J. Seymour showed several gold nuggets, the largest nearly 

 one-eighth of an inch in diameter, obtained by Mr. M 'Henry, of the 

 Geological Survey, some twelve years ago, from Mr, Acheson's washings 

 in the Gold Mine River, Co. Wicklow. 



