The Irish Field Clubs. 145 



work. The Photographic Committee have under their care 

 the formation of an illustrated 'antiquarian survey of the 

 district, which already numbers 400 platinotype photographs, 

 and is rapidly increasing, thanks to the generosity of 

 the photographers of the Club, and especially of that talented 

 artist Mr. Robert Welch. The Ethnographical Section is 

 engaged at present chiefly in collecting local folk-lore, under 

 the Secretaryship of Mr. W. H. Patterson, and it is connected 

 with the Ethnographical Committees in Dublin and London, 

 which Professor Haddon has been instrumental in bringing 

 into existence. The operations of the Celtic Section consist 

 of a weekly class for the study of the Irish language, which is 

 ably conducted by Mr. P. J. O'Shea, a member of the Club. 

 And lastly the Geological Section, of which Miss S. M. Thomp- 

 son is Secretary, is hard at work on the Glacial deposits of the 

 district, and the first report, which was recently submitted to 

 the Club, shows that interesting results have already been 

 obtained, and gives good promise for the future. 



The Presidential chair since 1890 has been filled by Mr. 

 William Gray, Mr. John Vinycomb, and Mr. W. Swanston, and 

 each of these gentlemen has done much to aid Mr. Bigger and 

 myself in our secretarial work. My own removal to Dublin 

 last year has thrown the entire work of the Club on my late 

 colleague, under whom the Club is still rapidly increasing in 

 numbers and usefulness. Nor must mention be omitted here 

 of the successful course of lectures delivered under the auspices 

 of the Club last winter by Prof. Grenville Cole, which have 

 stirred up much interest in local geology, and strengthened to 

 a considerable extent the Geological Section of the Club. I 

 understand that courses of lectures on similar lines are to be 

 delivered next session, and there can be no doubt that in this 

 direction the Club is performing most valuable educational 

 work. 



In no way is the prosperity and usefulness of the Belfast 

 Naturalists' Field Club better shown than by its annual Pro- 

 ceedings. Commencing in 1865 with a 12-page pamphlet 

 covering two years of work, this publication has steadily grown, 

 so that the last issued part (1892-3) comprises 170 pages of 

 letterpress, with nine plates and ten other illustrations, and 

 includes important contributions to the fauna, flora, geology, 

 and ethnography of the North of Ireland. 



