222 The Irish Naturalist. 



Dublin Naturalists' Field Club. 



August nth. — Excursion to Lucan. A party of about twenty pro- 

 ceeded to Lucan Station by I o'c. train from Broadstone. Arrived there, 

 the banks of the Canal were immediately invaded, and carefully ex- 

 amined as far as Leixlip, and they yielded a good harvest to the 

 collectors. The most note-worthy plants which grew in the waters or 

 oil the margins or slopes adjoining were Ranunculus Lingua, R. cininatus, 

 Nuphar luteum, Senebiera Coronopus, Epilobium palustre, Valeriana officinalis and 

 Lythrum salicaria in great quantit}*, Sium angustifolium, CEnanthe phellan- 

 dtium, CE. Jislulosa, Origanum vulgare, Linaria minor (on the railway), 

 Typha latifolia, Sagittaria sagitlifolia, Equisetum Wilsoni abundant, Chara 

 Jiispida f. rudis, C. aspera, C. vulgaris, C. contraria, C. polyacanlha. Near 

 Leixlip Carduus crispus and Reseda lutea were observed on dry banks, and 

 Gymnadenia conopsca and Parnassia palusiris in a marshy meadow. At Leix- 

 lip the party visited the Salmon Leap, near which huge specimens of 

 Scrophularia aquatica, some 8 or 9 feet high, were gathered. Thence the 

 route lay down the river bank, through the woods of Lucan demeuse. 

 Orobanche hcdercz was found in immense abundance and great luxuriance 

 under the trees by the river bank, and an adjoining pool was fringed 

 with Carex pendnla, and Orchis pyramidalis grew among the grass. 



This is usually a very unproductive month for Coleoptera, but thanks 

 to the luxuriant growth of vegetation a few interesting plant- feeding 

 species were taken, numbers of the local Galerucella nymphccic occurred on 

 the water-plants in one place near Lucan, Cassida equestris (a species 

 widely distributed but local), Apiun Gyllenhali, A. carduorum, etc., Sitones 

 flavescens, S. lineatus, S. tibialis, Ceuthorrhynchus pleurostigma, C. erysimi and 

 C. litura, the last mentioned very common on thistles. The Hemiptera 

 were more plentiful, the best being Lygus rustic us, Nabis flavomarginatus, 

 Pithanus Maerkeli and Calocoris roseomaculatus, but the "take" of the day was 

 a single specimen of Myrmedobia tenella, Zett., on the Canal bank near 

 Lucan, a species which had not been previously known as Irish, and in 

 England is only known to occur in a very few localities. 



LTnder a spreading Oak tree at the lower end of the demesne Miss 

 Gardiner had an ample tea spread upon the sward, to which full justice 

 was done. Subsequently, a short business meeting was held, Mr. David 

 M'Ardle in the chair, when the following new members were elected — 

 Mrs. Stewart Baskin, Miss M'Intosh, B.A., Miss R. MahafFy, Miss E. 

 Reynell, Major Gamble, Mr. G. F. Gamble. The party returned to town 

 by the 7.5 steam tram. 



Limerick Naturalists' Field Club. 



June 28th. — Excursion to Lough Gur and neighbourhood — a locality 

 some twelve miles south of Limerick, justly celebrated for its geological 

 characteristics, and the richness and great variety of its archaeological 

 remains. Time did not permit a careful examination of the district, 

 the most interesting botanical find being Henbane {Hyoscyamus niger), a 

 fine specimen in full bloom having been gathered by Mrs. R. Gibson. 

 ^ August 6th.— Excursion to Broadford, Co. Clare, one of the very few 

 fine days of the month. The marshy meadows and peat bogs skirting 

 Doon Lake yielded Marsh Epipactis (Epipaclis palustris), Spotted Orchis 

 {Orchis maculata), Marsh Parnassia {Parnassia palustris), Yellow Loosestrife 

 (Lysimachia vulgaris), Water Mint {Mentha aquatica), Gipsywort (Lycopus 

 curopccus), Marsh Thistle {Carduus palusiris), Sundew {Drosera rotundifolia), 

 Reed Mace {Typha latifolia), Bur- reed {Spa?ganiuvi ramosuni), Lichen 

 Cornutus {Cladonia coccifera), &c, &c. Larvae of the Pebble Prominent 

 Moth (Notodonta ziczac), and pupae of the Bullrush Moth {Nonagria 

 arundinis) formed the most interesting entomological records of the day. 



