C 211 ] 



THE IRISH FIELD CLUBS. 



BY R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.E., 

 vSecretary, Dublin Nat. Field Club ; Ex-Secretary, Belfast Nat. Field 



Club. 



II. — THE DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



It might have been more appropriate that this short history 

 of the Dublin Field Club should have been written by Pro- 

 fessor Haddon, its founder, or by some other of the eminent 

 men of science who have watched over it from its infancy, and 

 still take an active interest in its welfare ; but though I cannot 

 write of the early days of the Club from personal recollection, 

 the minute-book lies open before me, so I trust that at least 

 I shall not err as to fact, however wanting niy account ma}- 

 be in regard to sentiment. 



The conditions under which the Dublin Club came into 

 existence were widely different from those which I have al- 

 ready described as attending the birth of the Field Club of 

 Belfast. Firstly, there was the lapse of nearly a quarter of a 

 century, bringing with it a more general interest in, and 

 sympathy with science, and scientific research. And secondly, 

 Dublin had the good fortune to possess a comparatively large 

 body of trained scientific men, and also societies, schools, and 

 museums eminently favourable to the acquisition of scientific 

 knowledge — advantages which were almost entirely wanting 

 when the hard-working citizens of the northern capital founded 

 their Club. It is quite possible, however, that the foregoing 

 circumstances had a deterrent effect as regards the founding 

 of a Field Club in Dublin, for, while they were undoubtedly 

 conducive to the imparting of a more general interest in 

 science, and of a love of natural history pursuits, they at the 

 same time supplied, partially at least, the opportunity for 

 scientific intercourse and stud}' which it is the main object of 

 a Naturalists' Field Club to confer, and rendered less necessary 

 the banding together of persons scientifically inclined, for 

 the promotion of their favourite pursuits. 



However this may be, it was early in the winter of 1885-6 

 that Professor Haddon, of the Royal College of Science, sug- 

 gested the formation in Dublin of a Naturalists' Field Club, 

 and the suggestion appears to have met with immediate favour. 

 A preliminary meeting was held by private invitation in the 



