250 The Irish Naturalist. 



Mr. Stewart, Treasurer ; Mr. Neale, Secretary ; who, with three 

 additional members, formed the Committee. With regard to 

 the rules, we may remark that the annual subscription was 

 fixed at half- a- crown, being one-half of the amount which is 

 payable in the other Irish Clubs. Twenty-two names were 

 enrolled at this meeting ; and at the end of three months the 

 list had increased to 45. The first regular meeting took place 

 on 17th January, 1893, when Dr. Fogerty described "Some 

 Low Forms of Animal Life. " Since that date, monthly 

 meetings have been regularly held ; the winter meetings being 

 well attended, and decidedly successful. The summer ex- 

 cursions presented greater difficulties, on account of the small 

 number of members who have taken up any definite branch 

 of collecting ; but the founders of the Club had no reason to 

 be dissatisfied with their first season's work. The first 

 annual meeting was held on 16th January, 1894. The state- 

 ment then submitted showed that the membership was steady, 

 and the finances in a satisfactory state. Mr. B. Taylor was 

 elected a second Vice-President, and the Committee under- 

 went some change. It is a matter of regret that unforeseen 

 circumstances prevented several members from fulfilling 

 their intention of attending the joint excursion to Fermoy, 

 where the discussions and interchange of ideas on Field Club 

 work would have been sure to encourage and stimulate them ; 

 but we note that, at the other excursions of the present } T ear, 

 the attendance has been satisfactory, and that the member- 

 ship still steadily retains its original figure, about 45. Placed 

 as they are, in the midst of a district varied and interesting, 

 and about which there is still much to be learned, the 

 members of the Limerick Naturalists' Field Club are certain 

 to derive an increasing pleasure and interest from the study of 

 local Natural History, and should not regret the day when 

 they banded themselves together for mutual intercourse and 

 combined study. 



I have now sketched briefly the history and fortunes of the 

 Field Clubs of Ireland. The record is a creditable one, espe- 

 cially when we take into consideration the lack in Ireland of 

 a general interest in Natural History when compared with 

 England or many parts of the Continent. Four working Clubs 

 for over 31,000 square miles of country is certainly a very 



