140 The Irish Naturalist. 



Dubinin Naturalists' Field Club. 



April 2Sth. —Excursion to Kill-o'-the-Grange and Killiney. A party 

 of twenty-five members proceeded by 12.45 train to Kingstown, where 

 cars were in waiting to convey them to Kill-o'-the-Grange Brickworks. 

 Fine sections of bluish Boulder-clay were examined here, in which marine 

 shells of the genera Astarte, Tellina, &c, were observed. A section of sand 

 and gravel was also visited. Professor Sollas, F.R.S., who conducted 

 the party, briefly explained the nature of the deposits, and the theories 

 as to their formation. 



The early season was witnessed by the discovery here of Ttifolium 

 procumbetis in full flower, while Arum maculalum had almost finished 

 blossoming. Sterile stems of Equisetum palustre were observed near the 

 brickworks by Dr. M'Weeney, who also searched the locality for fungi. 

 Agarics were, as might have been expected, scarce ; Coprinus micaceus, Fr., 

 Panveohts phalenarum, Fr., and a few other manure-loving species alone 

 being found. A fine specimen of Polypoms (Fomes) fomentarins was 

 observed on a stump, while leaf-fungi were represented by Puccinia 

 malvaccarnm, Mont., and Synchytrium taraxaci, De By. 



A rapid drive brought the party to Killiney, where some interesting 

 geological features on the summit of Ballybrack Hill claimed attention. 

 Along the junction of the granite and Ordovician rocks, the former has 

 invaded the latter rock along the cleavage-planes, with the result that 

 in places the shales have been entirely eaten up, nothing remaining to 

 attest their presence but bands of black mica in the granite. The 

 botanists of the party were well pleased to find among the gorse and 

 rocks, abundance of the rare Corydalis claviculata, some of the plants 

 already in good flower. 



Descending to the beach,, the remainder of the afternoon was devoted 

 to investigating the fine sections of the drift that extend continuously 

 from Killiney to Bray, and which were recently described in the Irish 

 Naturalist by Professor Sollas (January, 1894, p. 13). 



Along the shore the botanists found Honkeneja peploides already in flower, 

 and Viola arvensis was taken by Dr. M'Weeney in a grass field near the 

 mouth of the Loughlinstown river. The locality was not apparently an 

 inviting field for entomologists, but Messrs. W. F. de V. Kane and G. H. 

 Carpenter were fortunate enough to discover numerous specimens of 

 Clunio marinus, Halid., a small marine dipteron which seems to have 

 been overlooked since its describer, nearly forty years ago, took it on 

 the coasts of Kerry and Dublin. The present discovery was specially 

 gratifying, as among a colon}- of the midge observed upon a rock 

 covered by green seaweed {Cladophora) two examples of the hitherto 

 unknown female were obtained, and this sex is found to be wingless. 

 Subsequent examination of the Cladophora disclosed a larva — also un- 

 known hitherto. (A preliminary note by Mr. Carpenter, with figures, 

 will shortly appear in the Ent. Mo. Mag.). Prof. Johnson and Mr. 

 R. J. Mitchell assiduously collected seaweeds, but were not rewarded 

 by any form new to the coast. Tea was provided at the Bray Temperance 

 Hotel, after which a short business meeting was held for the election 

 of new members. 



Royal Irish Academy. 



April 9. — Mr. G. H. Kinahan read a paper on Quartz, Quartzite, and 

 Ouartz-rock. Mr. Kinahan has already laid before readers of this 

 Journal his views as to the origin of these rocks (f.JV., 1892). Prof. N- 

 Sollas, F.R.S., and Mr. McHenry(H.M. Geol. Survey) took part in the 

 discussion that ensued 



