92 The Irish Natio'alist. April, 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



March 5. — Geological Excursion to St. Dolough's. — Tvventy-oue 

 members and visitors were present. The party left Amiens-street by 

 the 1.45 train. From Portmarnock the members walked through St. 

 Dolough's Park to the quarries behind the church. Here Mr. DuflFy 

 explained the geological features of the ground, and discussed the 

 question as to the age of the limestone, which is usually given as T^ower 

 Carboniferous The party then proceeded round the quarry, extracting 

 such fossils as could be reached. This resulted in a very typical col- 

 lection of the fossils for which this quarry is noted. An interesting 

 feature of the day was the examination of a glaciated land surface which 

 had been laid bare by the removal of the overlying Boulder-clay. The 

 approaching darkness prevented further work being dene, and after 

 having taken tea with Mrs. Hone at St. Dolough's Park, the party 

 returned to town. Very severe snow showers fell frequently during the 

 afternoon. 



March 8.— Fourth winter business meeting was held in the Royal 

 Irish Academy— the Vice-President (C. B. Moffat) in the chair. 

 G. H. Carpenter, B.Sc, lectured upon " Some Problems of the Irish 

 Fauna," calling attention to the existence in Ireland, and to a less 

 degree in Western Britain, of South-western ("Lusitanian "), North 

 American, and Arctic faunistic groups, in addition to the common wide- 

 spread Britannic species of animals. The South-western group must 

 be regarded as undoubtedly older than the Arctic, on account of the 

 restricted and discontinuous range of its members ; this portion of our 

 fauna, at least, must be regarded as pre-glacial. It appears to show the 

 presence in Miocene times of a continent, including Ireland and the 

 Atlantic isles. Probably the south British animals represented in the 

 west of Ireland are also pre-glacial. Reference was made to Dr. ScharfTs 

 explanations of the absence from Ireland of the distinctively Eastern 

 fauna, and the periods at which he believes the various sections to have 

 entered our area. The lecture was illustrated by lantern slides. 



W. B. Wright, B.A., considered that the glaciation of the present 

 Irish land-area — now proved to have extended to the extreme south 

 coast— would render impossible any survival of a pre-glacial fauna, 

 except perhaps on tracts to the south and west now submerged. 



F. O'B. EiviyiSON, B.A., objected to the extreme glacial theories of Mr. 

 Wright, and spoke strongly against the "continental" theory of the 

 origin of the Atlantic isles. 



P. Duffy read an account of the excursion held on Saturday, March 

 8th. Miss M'Ardle was elected an associate member. 



