288 The Irish NaUcralist, [December, 



Mr. W. N. Ai^ivEN showed seeds of Aristolochia serpentaria taken from 

 capsules found in a parcel of the dried rhizomes as an accidental 

 admixture. The seeds are bluntly triangular, convex and warted on 

 lower surface which is traversed by a thick flesh}' white raphe. 



Mr. F. M. SeIvI^ENS exhibited two slides: — (i) a preparation of fossil 

 Diatomaceae from Monticelli, U.S., and (2) a preparation of Tripoli earth 

 from Kritohelbergh, Bohemia. 



BEI.FAST Naturai. History and Phii^osophicai, Society. 

 Nov. 6. — The President, Mr. J. Brown opened the session with an 

 inaugural address on "Some Matters Electric," with lantern and ex- 

 perimental illustrations. 



Dubinin Naturai^ists' Fiei^d Ci,ub. 



November 6. — The winter session was opened with the usual Con* 

 versazione in the house of the Royal Irish Academy, 19, Dawson-street, 

 under the presidency of Mr. Greenwood Pim, M.A. The attendance 

 was large, notwithstanding the inclement weather. About 200 members 

 and visitors were present, including many ladies. The function com- 

 menced, as on previous occasions, in the form of a social gathering, which 

 was held from 7.30 till 8.45 p.m. At the latter hour the President took 

 the chair, and made an opening address, welcoming all present to the 

 inaugural meeting of the session. He then gave a succinct account of 

 the work and progress of the Club. He was glad to see such a large 

 attendance at the opening meeting, which compensated for the falling- 

 off in the number of members attending this summer's excursions. 



Next the Prize Awards were declared, the winners being as follows :— 

 President's prize for a series of photo-micrographs of geological sections, 

 Mr. H.J. Seymour; Flowering Plants, Miss E. M'Intosh, Mrs. R. D. Alcockj 

 Crustacea, Mr. W. F. de V. Kane ; Land and P'resh-water Mollusca, Miss 

 Massy; Igneous rocks, Mr. Seymour. Reports from the various 

 judges were read by the Hon. Sec, Dr. N. H. Alcock. 



At nine o'clock Dr. C. J. PatTEN, Hon. Sec, commenced his lantern 

 demonstrations on "Irish Birds." The speaker opened his address b}- 

 urging on the members of the Club the necessity of bringing on com* 

 munications at the winter ordinary meetings. To the junior members 

 these remarks were particularly applicable. The Club required that 

 more discussions should arise at the winter meetings. The membership 

 was large, and, no doubt, if the members were encouraged, a more varied 

 programme of scientific communications would be brought before the 

 meetings. Following these remarks. Dr. Patten commenced to exhibit 

 his lantern slides on " Irish Birds." Many of the scenes thrown on to 

 the canvas were from photographs taken from nature, representing a 

 variety of birds indigenous to Ireland, and some of the photographs 

 were those of birds in captivity in the Dublin Zoological Gardens. A 

 concise classification of Irish birds was gone into, and typical examples 

 in each large order were exhibited on the screen to illustrate their 

 habits. 



