290 The Irish Naturalist. December, 



W. F. GuNN exhibited shoots of Black Currants, shownig the effects of 

 the currant bud mite {Phytoptus ribis). Sections of the present season's 

 buds, under a i-inch objective, revealed large numbers of the mites 

 harbouring and feeding between the folds of the embr^'o leaves. The 

 mites, which are extremeh- small, are most destructive ; and, where large 

 quantities of Black Currants are grown together, it is no uncommon 

 occurrence for the entire crop to fail. Shoots were also shown bearing 

 the remains of last season's buds, wdiich had been, in consequence of the 

 attack of the mites, arrested in growth and completely killed. A short 

 account of the insect and some points in its life history are given in 

 Leaflet No. i of the Royal Agricultural Society — copies of which can be 

 obtained from the offices of the Department of Agriculture, 4 Upper 

 Merrion-street, Dublin. A detailed account has been given by Warburton 

 and Embleton in the Linnean Society's /ournal {Zoology), vol. xxviii. 



F. W. MooRi? showed orchid flow^ers of the genus Cataseliwi, and 

 demonstrated their beautiful adaptation for cross-pollination. 



J. N. Hai^berT showed Arrhemiriis Moebii, Piersig, a water-mite from 

 Lough Gill, Sligo, new to the fauna of the British Islands. This species 

 is described and figured in the current volume of the Irish Naturalist 

 (p. 201, pi. 10, B., fig. 3). 



Prof. Carpenter showed Xenylla brevicauda^ Tullb., a springtail new to 

 the British Islands, from Lough Gill shore. The insect is described and 

 figured in the current volume of the Irish Naturalist (p. 198, pi. 10, A., 

 fig. 1-4). 



LIMERICK FIELD CLUB. 



November 3.— Annuai, Meeting.— W. A. Beauchamp in the chair. 

 The annual report w^as submitted. It stated that the membership stood 

 at 117, as against 124 the previous year. The attendance at the winter 

 meetings of the year was up to the average, and the Club was represented 

 at the Field Club Union Conference at Sligo by six members and five 

 visitors. An attempt to promote Club intercourse by opening the Club 

 rooms every Tuesda}- evening met with only very slight support. 

 The annual part of the Club Journal was published in June at a cost of 

 ;^22 '^s lid. The finances of the Club are in a satisfactory condition. The 

 response to the suggestion to raise a fund to provide a memorial to 

 Eugene O'Curry has been disappointing. The report was adopted. The 

 following were elected officers for the ensuing year : — President, H. 

 Vereker Morony ; Vice-Presidents, P. J. Lynch, C.K., and W. A. Fogerty, 

 M.D. ; Committee, Mrs. Gibson, Miss Alice Doyle, E. H. Bennis, Mrs. 

 Dodd, B.A. ; B. Barrington, Rev. J. H. Thomas, B.A. ; J. P. Dalton, M.A. ; 

 Treasurer, Joseph Stewart; Secretaries, George Fogerty and J. F'G. 

 Windle. A variety of exhiVnts were on view during the evening, and a 

 series of lantern slides was shown. 



