76 The Irish Naturalist. [March, 



OBITUARY. 



PrOFEvSSOR J. F. ilODGKvS, M.D. 

 The late Dr. Hodges was for niany years a very well-known member 

 of Belfast society. He began life as a practising physician in Down- 

 patrick, having studied at Dublin and Glasgow. Subsequentl}' he 

 studied agricultural chemistry under Baron von Liebig, and took out 

 the degree of MD. in the University of Giessen. Returning to Ireland, 

 he took a leading part in founding the Chemico-agricultural Society of 

 Ulster in 1S45, and was appointed professor of chemistr}- in the old 

 Belfast College, and shortly afterwards he exchanged this post for the 

 chairs of agricultural chemistry and medical jurisprudence in Queen's 

 College, Belfast, which chairs he occupied till his death. He was the 

 author of several books on agricultural chemistry, and his important 

 researches in this science brought him honours from almost every 

 European country. He held for many years the post of Government 

 analyst, and was also analyst for the City of Belfast, and for five 

 adjoining counties. He passed away in December, at the ripe age of 

 84 years. 



PROCKKDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



RoYAi, Zooi^oGiCAiy Society. 



Recent gifts include Long-eared Owls from Miss Bowerman and 

 Mr. P. Grove, a Badger from Mr. R. J. Ussher, and a pair of Tigers from 

 the Nizam of Hyderabad (given through Lord Roberts). A Llama has 

 been born in the gardens, and a pair of Ostriches, a Bactrian Camel, and 

 a Kangaroo, have been bought. 



4,429 persons visited the gardens in January. 



The Annual Meeting of the Society was held on January 30th at the 

 Royal College of Physicians, and the Report of the Council then pre- 

 sented records most satisfactory progress. The admissions to the gardens 

 show an increase of 24,000 visitors, and the receipts of £,2)^o as compared 

 with those of the previous year. This advance is justifiably ascribed to 

 the increased attractions in the gardens. A new house for Ungulates 

 has been built, and the Bears' dens have been greatly improved ; while 

 the Haughton Memorial Building, with its pleasing outdoor cages and 

 upstairs refreshment-room (now open on Sundays as well as week-days), 

 has proved a great pleasure to visitors. The Council hope soon to be in 

 a position to erect a new Lion house, which will cost at least ^^1,500. 

 The breeding-stock of Lions has been strengthened by the importation 

 of a Nubian male, "Prince" — who has become the father of three fine 

 cubs by the imported Somali lioness " Germania." The old Dublin 

 strain is represented by another litter of three by " Caesar," out of 

 " Hypatia." The latter lioness unfortunately refuses to rear her offspring, 

 but a satisfactory foster-mother has been found in an Irish Red Setter, 

 The comparison between the Dublin-bred Lion, " Caesar" and '* Prince," 

 wiU be interesting to zoologists : — 



