178 The Irish Naturalist. [July, 



under the stress of sexual excitement. Horns are derived from the use 

 of the head in buttini^. In the very interesting discussion of the various 

 kinds of horn no mention is made of the use of the horns in the reindeer 

 for shovelling away snow, as an explanation of their presence in the 

 female. We miss in all this section any attempt to bring these secondary 

 sexual characters into correlation with " recognition marks," so obvious 

 in the deer and antelopes, with their combination of white " sunflower " 

 patches of erectile hair with scent glands, so as to make a double appeal 

 to their fellows. This seems the more remarkable, as it is an obvious 

 suggestion that sexual ornamentation is derived from recognition marks 

 by intensification. 



The chapters on insects and crustaceans are very interesting, the 

 former dealing, to some extent, with the question of protective mimicry. 



The book is admirabl}' got up, well written, well illustrated. 



MarcUvS HarTOG. 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



RoYAi. ZooLOGiCAi, Society. 



Recent gifts include an African Wild Ass from Mr. W. H. Goodwin, 

 three black-headed Gulls from Mr. F. H. Greene, a pair of Crowned 

 Pigeons from Mr. J. N. Lentaigne, a Parrakeet from Mrs. Blair White, a 

 Kestrel from Mr. W. W. Despard, and a Long-eared Owl from Mr. R. 

 Warren. "Five Wolf-cubs have been born in the Gardens. 



13,320 persons visited the Gardens during May. 



Dublin Naturai^ists' Fiei<d Ci.ub. 



June 9. —The second excursion of the season — to Lambay Island — 

 took place under the direction of Dr. C. J. Patten, Hon. Sec. The 

 attendance numbered twenty-eight members and visitors. The party 

 left Amiens-street by the 10.30 a.m. train for Rush station, where cars 

 awaited to convey them to Rush Harbour. Here they embarked on a 

 lugger for Lambay Island. Unfortunately the weather became so 

 inclement that it was quite futile to attempt landing on the island. It 

 w^as thus decided to return to Skerries, where the party disembarked at 

 about 5.30 o'clock. 



Dinner was served at 6 o'clock in the Temperance Hotel. The party 

 having nearly two hours at their disposal after dinner, before the arrival 

 of the train, took a walk along the Skerries strand, where a number of 

 natural history objects were examined. The different species of sea-birds 

 seen from the boat were pointed out and enumerated by Dr. Patten. 



The party returned to Dublin by the S.40 train from Skerries, 



