1900.] 26'] 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



RoYAi, ZooT^oGiCAiv Society. 



Recent gifts include an Otter from Mrs. Howard St. George, a Cockatoo 

 from Mr. H. M. Winder, a Willow- Warbler from Mr. Bushe, a number 

 of Carp and Trout from the Commissioners of Irish Inland Fisheries, fifty 

 American Brook Trout and fifty Lochheven Trout from Mr. J. N. 

 Lentaigne. A pair of Lories have been bought. 



13,962 persons visited the Gardens during September. 



BeivFast Naturalists' Fiki^d Ci^ub. 

 September 8. — The last field meeting was held. The excursion in- 

 cluded the ancient rath or tumulus at Dundonald, the Kemp stone 

 cromlech, Newtownards Priory and Grey Abbey. A numerous gathering 

 of members and friends were favoured with fine weather. Mediaeval 

 architecture seemfed to be the chief object of quest, and the ancient 

 Priory at Newtownards was first visited and critically examined, after 

 which the ruins of the abbey — De jiigo Dei — in the Ards, were investigated. 

 Mr. J. J. Phillips (author of an illustrated monograph on the abbey) 

 having kindly consented to act as cicerone to the Club in this part of the 

 day's programme, briefly explained the plan of the abbey, commencing 

 at the church. 



Dubinin Naturai^ists' Field Club. 



August 4. — A small party of members and visitors attended the ex- 

 cursion to the Scalp. The party travelled to Carrickmines Railway 

 Station by train, and walked from this point to the Scalp by the footpath 

 over the hill. A considerable number of botanical specimens were ob- 

 tained, the road near the station proving the best hunting ground. 



September i. — The excursion to the North Bull was also botanical in 

 character. Siueda /nariiima and Salkoniia herbacea were found in consider- 

 able quantity along the shore. The range of Artemisia stelleriana has 

 considerabl}- extended since the last visit of the Club, and Statice spathidata 

 was found growing in great abundance on the marshy land near the rifle 

 ranges. 



vSepTEMBER 19. — The last excursion, as usual, took the form of a 

 Fungus Foray, the localit}- chosen being Lord Massey's pretty demesne 

 of Killakee, to which he kindly gave free admission to the Club. 

 Although the afternoon was fine the attendance was not as good as could 

 be wished, only 14 members and visitors being present. The cold and 

 wet of the earlier portion of the autumn seemed to have had a prejudicial 

 effect on the growth of Fungi, as the larger forms — Agarics, Boleti, &c.— 

 were by no means numerous. Nevertheless a number of interesting things 

 were met with, the best find being, perhaps, Peziza {Otidea) otwtica. Amongst 

 others, the following were identified by the President (Mr. Greenwood 

 Pim) ; — Arniillaria melka, Clitocybe laccata, C. inftuidibuli/ormis, C. fragrans, 

 Tricholoma rutilans^ Collybia confluens, Mycena, one or two species ; Pholiota 



