Proceedings of Irish Societies. 241 



of Meatli ; and a glorious prospect of blue sea, on which thousands of 

 sea-birds were busily engaged in fishing. The rock-pools were explored 

 by Mr. J. B. Duerden, and his results appear in a paper in our present 

 issue. Mr. H. K. G. Cuthbert collected beetles, and obtained the following 

 species : — Dromius mcridionalis, Ocypus morio, PhUonikus laminatus, Stemcs 

 gultula, Astilbus canaliculars, Lcma lichenis, Halyzia xviii. -guttata, Salpingus 

 castaneus, Ceuthorrhynchas litura, and C. pleurostigma. Among other insects 

 obtained were the caddis-fly, Limnopkilus vittatus, and the grasshoppers, 

 Stenobothrus viridulns and .9. bicolor. Mr. Carpenter secured the harvestman 

 Phalangium saxatile, for the first time in Ireland. Soon the quaint little 

 village of Lough Shinny was passed, and a pleasant walk through fields, 

 where harvesting operations were in full swing, brought the naturalists 

 to Skerries, where the Misses Gardiner had an ample repast spread in a 

 meadow facing the sea. After tea the road was taken to the station. 

 Near the old windmill both the Black and White Mustard {Sinapis nigra 

 and S. alba) were observed, and abundance of Black Horehound (Ballota 

 nigra), and fading twilight did not deter the botanists from detecting in 

 the gravel pit near the station several uncommon species, such as the 

 Long Prickly-headed Poppy {P. Argemone), the Blue Flea-bane {Erigeron 

 acns), and the Red Hemp-nettle (Ga/eopsis Ladamim). The party returned 

 to town by the 6.40 train, well pleased with their day's outing. 



Cork Naturalists' Field Club. 



August 29th. — One of the most successful expeditions of the above 

 Club took place on this date, when a small party paid a visit to the in- 

 teresting limestone caverns at the Ovens. The part}*, which included 

 Professor Hartog, D.Sc. ; W. H. Shaw, B.E- ; T. Farrington, M.A. ; D. 

 Franklin, J. P. ; H. Lund; J. H. Bennett; W. Hill; R. Blair; C. Franklin; 

 J. Noonan, and several ladies, started by the 2 p.m. train for Kilumney 

 Station, and after a pleasant walk reached the entrance of the caves 

 about 3 p.m. After about three hours stay underground, during which 

 several passages were explored, and the foundations for a plan of the 

 caves laid, the party adjourned to the Station house, where the fore- 

 thought of the ladies had provided a comfortable tea. Thence the 

 company dispersed to travel home by road or railway. 



NOTES. 



BOTANY. 



PHANEROGAMS. 



Plants of Courtown and Arklow. — Courtown Harbour, Co, 

 Wexford, did not appear to be so productive in the way of plants as it 

 is with regard to insects. During a few days spent there in August, the 

 following were noted. On the narrow belt of sandhills that fringes the 

 coast for some miles north and south grew Thalictrum maritimum, 

 Eryngium, Gentiana campestris, Convolvulus Soldanella, Cynoglossum, Euphorbia 

 paralias, and E. portlandica, the last named being recorded from this locality 

 in " Cybele Hibernica." Lithospcrmum officinale, and Equisctum hyemale 

 grew in bushy places by the shore a mile north of Courtown. In a pool 

 among the dunes where the river which now flows into the harbour 

 formerly entered the sea grow Potamogeton pcctinatus and Ruppia niaritinia — 

 the typical form, with long spiral flower-stems and inflated sheaths. 

 Crithmum is abundant on all rocky places by the sea. By the river in the 

 demesne are Epipactis lalifolia, Malva moschata, and Stachys sylvatica x. 

 palustris — the common form, much nearer paluslris than sylvatica. 

 Between Courtown and Gorey, which is four miles inland, Achillcea 

 ptarmica, Linaria vulgaris, and 7'ypha latifolia are not uncommon. 



