Proceedings of Irish Societies. 183 



and matches were served round, and the inspection of the celebrated 

 caverns was commenced. The passage which serves as an entrance 

 appears to have been accidentally discovered during quarrying operations. 

 It descends for a considerable distance at a sharp angle, afterwards 

 opening out into a more or less horizontal series of passages with 

 occasional expansions into caverns of considerable size, richly draped 

 with stalactite and stalagmite. With the assistance of magnesium wire, 

 a member took several views of these caverns. Entomologists searched 

 eagerly for the characteristic cave spring-tail, Lipura kstilicidii, Schiodt, 

 discovered here forty years ago by Dr. E. P. Wright, and the late A. H. 

 Haliday, and their efforts were rewarded by a fair number of specimens 

 beneath the wet rocks. A few examples of another insect of the same 

 group, Templetonia crystallina, Midi., were also obtained. Male and female 

 examples of the small spider Porrhomma my ops, described by Simon from 

 caves in France, were also found, as well as a gamasid mite. A few 

 earthworms and a common Frog completed the observed fauna. 



By the time the exploration of the caves was completed, the afternoon 

 was far advanced, and the return journey was commenced ; proceeding 

 zia Mitchelstown, Fermoy was again reached shortly after 8.0. After 

 dinner a meeting of the combined Clubs was held. The chair was taken 

 by Mr. G. H. Carpenter, B.Sc, President of the senior (Dublin) Club. In 

 opening the meeting, the Chairman expressed the pleasure of the Dublin 

 Club at meeting so auspiciously, representatives ot the Field Clubs of Cork 

 and Limerick, and of one of the English scientific societies. Such 

 meetings were calculated to encourage the members, and to bring about 

 a fellow-feeling between the different Clubs. He hoped they would now 

 hear something of the fortunes of the different Societies represented, and 

 hints for the extension of Field Club work in Ireland ; also opinions 

 respecting the proposed conference next year of all the Irish Clubs. On 

 behalf of the meeting, he begged to acknowledge the obligation they 

 were under to the various Secretaries, and to Mr. Copeman, Secretary of 

 the Cork Club in particular, for making the arrangements for the present 

 trip. 



Mr. T. Farrington, F.C.S., Vice-President Cork Naturalists' Field 

 Club, endorsed the Chair man's remarks as to their obligation to Mr. 

 Copeman for arranging the excursion ; he hoped many more such com- 

 bined excursions would be held. 



Mr. W. H. Shaw, Vice-President Cork Naturalists' Field Club, spoke of 

 the excursions of his Society, and of the advantage to be gained by Field 

 Club trips properly arranged. 



Professor J. W. Carr, President Notts Naturalists' Society, thanked 

 the meeting on behalf of his party, for the kindly welcome that had been 

 extended to them on the present excursion, and for the friendliness with 

 which they had been treated. In reply to the Chairman's request for 

 information respecting the work of his Society, he thought that possibly 

 his Society had much more to learn from these young Clubs than they 

 could learn from the doings of his Society. He then proceeded to 

 describe the work of the Notts Society, and concluded by saying that 

 if an invitation were sent them to join the proposed Field Club excursion 

 and conference next year, some of his members might be glad to accept it. 



Mr. F. Neai^e, vSecretary Limerick Naturalists' Field Club, regretted 

 that his club was not better represented on this important occasion. As 

 regarded the Limerick Club, he believed that good would come of the 

 present meeting, and he thoroughly approved of the suggestion for a 

 meeting of all the Clubs next year. His members sometimes felt the 

 want of a central authority to whom they might send records of interest, 

 or submit specimens for identification. 



The Chairman pointed out that it was for these very purposes that the 

 Irish Naturalist had been established, and that the editors of that magazine 

 were only too anxious to help workers in Ireland in these or any other 

 ways. 



