240 The Irish Naturalist. 



the pass, then south along the ridge to the summit of Slieve- 

 na-Culliagh, and return eastward by Kelly's Though. An 

 inquirer, however, would have to pay at least two visits ; one 

 during the snow-fall and at least one after the general snow 

 had gone and only the drifts remained. Glendalough of St. 

 Kevin's does not appear to be a good centre, as I went there 

 in heavy snow and frost when all the lakes were frozen 

 over, but was disappointed in getting information as to the 

 results of the drifts. 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



Royal Zoological Society. 



Recent donations comprise a pair of Toads from Rev. S. A. Pelly, a 

 Cockatoo from Rev. J. E. Moffat, and a Snake from R. B. Hall, Esq. A 

 Red Deer fawn has been born in the Gardens, while two Ostriches, two 

 Black-backed Jackals, two Hyaena-Dogs, a large Baboon, three Monkeys, 

 a Lemur, and two Bull-frogs have been purchased. 



Belfast Naturalists Field Club. 



August 25th. — Excursion to Dundrum, attended by a party of over 

 fifty. Proceeding by the 9.15 train, the first point of interest was the 

 fine Anglo-Norman castle, which rises above the town ; its principal 

 features were described by the President (Mr. F. W. Lock wood). The 

 ruined church of Maghera, and the cromlech and pillar-stone at Sliddery- 

 ford, were subsequently examined. The party then proceeded to the 

 sandhills, where the fine raised beach and overlying traces of pre-historic 

 human habitation claimed attention. On the dunes the botanists 

 gathered the Meadow Rue {Thalictrum minus v. dunense), Hound's-tongue 

 {Cynoglossum officinale), Sea Spurge {Euphorbia paralias), and Sea Holly 

 (Eryngium marilimuni). The members partook of tea at the Downshire 

 Arms hotel, and returned to Belfast by the evening train. 



Dublin Naturalists' Field Club. 



September 8th. —Excursion to Rush and Skerries. A party of forty- 

 five members and friends took the 1.30 train from Amiens-street to Rush. 

 On the walk from the station to the shore some plants were found, 

 including Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare), Flixweed (Sisymbrium sophia), 

 Scale Fern (Ceterach officinarum), Wild Mignonette (Reseda lutea), Tansy 

 {Tanacetum vulgare), Bugloss (Lycopsis arvensis), while some members 

 who examined a stretch of sand-dunes lying a little to the south, 

 got in addition a number of remarkably large specimens of the pretty 

 Hare's-foot Trefoil (Trifolium arvense), two feet in height, and a few 

 plants of the Black Mustard (Sinapis nigra) and of Sea Purslane (Atriplcx 

 portulacoides). Passing through the village of Rush, the route lay north- 

 ward along the shore, where the highly-inclined and vertical beds of 

 Carboniferous limestone, projecting into the sea in long ridges, excited 

 the interest of the geologists of the party. On the low cliffs and steep 

 banks grew abundance of Samphire (Crit/imum maritimum) and Sea 

 Lavender {Statice occidentalis). Here also the Field Woundwort (Stachys 

 arvensis), a plant very rare in County Dublin, was obtained. From the 

 Martello Tower a beautiful view was obtained, embracing the mountains 

 of Dublin, Wicklow, Down, Louth, and Armagh, and the lower grounds 



