A new Irish Earthworm. 41 



interesting subject of island faunas and floras. I trust that the 

 discovery of Dr. Trumbull will result in other collectors from 

 the west and south consigning to me series for examination. 1 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



Royae Zooeogicae Society. 



The Gardens have recently acquired a Jaguar, a Hairy Tapir, a Golden 

 Agouti, three Tree Ducks, two Curassows, four Crested Quail, and two 

 Black Parrots, by purchase. 



2,583 persons visited the Gardens in December. 



Dublin Microscopical Ceub. 



November 16th.— The Club met at Mr. G. H. Carpenter's, who 

 showed the stridulating organ of a red ant (Myrmica ruginodis). This 

 organ, which has been recently described by Dr. D. Sharp {Trans. Ent. Sac, 

 1893) consists of a number of very minute transverse striations upon the 

 constricted collar of the third abdominal segment. The hinder edge of 

 the second segment is produced downwards into a sharp ridge which, 

 by scraping across the striations, produces a note of very high pitch. 



Dr. R. F. Scharff showed a woodlouse, Trichoniscus rosetis, hew to 

 the Irish Fauna. This woodlouse is distinguished from other members 

 of the genus principally by its brilliant colour, which is of a light ver- 

 milion with a yellow stripe down the back. A more detailed description 

 of this species and its affinities is published in this number of the Irish 

 Naturalist. It had previously been known only from Plymouth, where 

 it was found in Prof. Spence Bate's cellar; the present record is therefore 

 not only the first for Ireland, but also the second for the British Isles. 

 It was discovered among damp cinders in a garden in Leeson Park, Dub- 

 lin, and the identification has been confirmed by Prof. Budde-Lund of 

 Copenhagen. 



Mr. Greenwood Pim exhibited specimens of Puccinia coronata, Corda, 

 sent him by Prof. Johnson from several localities in Dublin and Meath, 

 where this season it seems to have been a great nuisance. It is peculiar in 

 having short blunt appendages on the top of the spore, which are found 

 in no other British Puccinia. It is the first record in this Dublin district, 

 but Mr. Lett finds it in the North. 



Mr. F. W. Moore showed the conidial stage of Xylaria rhopaloides, 

 sections of which had been exhibited at a previous meeting, the repro- 

 ductive stage not being then available. 



Prof. T. Johnson exhibited a preparation of Bonnemaisonia asparagoidcs 

 C. Ag., showing carpospores germinating in situ. The specimen was found 

 drifted on the shore at Sutton on the north side of Dublin Bay and was 

 of interest because the appearance of the carpospores in some of the 

 cystocarps suggested zonate tetrasporangia ; B. asparagoides, though 

 growing round the whole British coast, being one of the few Floridese 

 in which tetraspores are not known. 



1 Such packages, preferably tin boxes lightly packed with soft clean 

 moss to keep the worms healthy and fresh, should be sent to 7, Fern 

 Bank, Cockermouth, Cumberland, labelled Naturae History Speci- 

 mens oney. 



