138 The Irish Naturalist. 



GEOLOGY. 



Kitchen Middens in Co. Donegal. — These were examined and 

 described years ago by Mr. Harte, County Surveyor, before the Royal 

 Geol. Soc., Dublin, and more recently by Mr. Mahony, of Ramelton, in a 

 paper read before the Geol. Soc, Glasgow. The inquiries of both these 

 observers extended round the north and north-west coasts of Donegal. 

 Subsequently, after examining those of Co. Antrim, I examined them, 

 and was surprised to find the contents so different in some respects, that 

 is, the total absence of worked implements and pottery — yet in this 

 portion of Donegal and in Antrim both appeared to have been of very 

 similar age, that is, they were commenced on Murrish, or Sea plains, be- 

 fore the accumulation of the dunes of ^Eolian Drift. 



In Innishowen, Fanad, Roscuil, and Falcarragh, besides bones and 

 shells, were only found the rudest implements, such as slabs for breaking 

 on, and adapted stones that had been used as breakers, and " fire stones." 

 What were the latter used for ? Were they heated and the fish fried on 

 them ? Or were they used for boiling purposes ? The latter in these 

 cases seems improbable ; because if they were, we ought to have found, 

 as in the Co. Antrim, the rude clay pots in which the water was boiled. 

 The absence of flint implements seems remarkable, as Antrim flints 

 appear to have been largely imported into Donegal and manufactured. 



Near Knockbrack, to the south of Letterkenny, there seems to have 

 been a factory at Curragh — as numerous chips, cores, and implements 

 have been found there ; while at the Brown Rock, between Letterkenny 

 and Church Hill, a large bunch of worked flints were found — also in 

 various places about the Kilmacrenan Barony, especially north ot 

 Rathmullen, worked flint can be picked up in the tillage. Curiously, in 

 the south-west of the Donegal County, in the sand-dunes of the Bundoran 

 neighbourhood, arrow-heads, made of the chert from the Carboniferous 

 Limestone, were found in the Kitchen Middens by Mr. Knowles, of 

 Ballymena. Why should worked implements be found at Bundoran to 

 the south-west, and in Antrim to the east, while along the intervening 

 coast in the Kitchen Middens of apparently the same age they have not 

 been found ? — G. H. Kinahan, Fairview, Dublin. 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



Royai, Zoological Society. 



Recent donations comprise a Rabbit from Master H. Harvey ; a 

 Monkey from T. G. Waterhouse, Esq. ; two Long-eared Owls from 

 H. L. Jameson, Esq. ; three Stoats and a Guinea-fowl from Master R. L. 

 Weldon ; and eight Guinea-pigs from J. Condon, Esq. A large number 

 of animals have been acquired by purchase, including a Malayan Bear, a 

 Serval, a pair of Cranes, of Weka Rails, of Blood-breasted Pigeons, and 

 of Laughing Kingfishers ; a Brown Lemur, a Hog Deer, three Mandrills, 

 a Baboon, a Puma, two Marmosets, a Bear, two Porcupines, two Griffon 

 Vultures, four Red-shouldered Starlings, two Rosellas, twelve Rufous 

 Weaver-birds, two Grey Parrots, a Purple-capped Lony, and three 

 Egrets. 



Upwards of 10,000 persons visited the Gardens in April. 



Dublin Microscopical Club. 



April 19th.— The Club met at Dr. R. F. Scharff's. 



Mr. Greenwood Pim showed Lachnea (Pezizd) umbrosa sent to him by 

 Professor Johnson, who found it at Howth last autumn. The sporidia 

 are beautifully verrucose, in this point differing very markedly from 

 L. stercoral, which is exceedingly similar in general appearance ; from its 

 nearer ally, L. hirta, the present species is distinguished by the almost 



