1904. PRAEGKR. — Field Club Conference, Sligo. i 77 



destruction ancient, monuments, or getting them repaired or restored. 

 In this direction he thought the Board of Works had often not shown 

 sufficient initiative or energy. 



He read a telegram from William Gray, M.R.I.A., wishing success to 

 the Conference, and then called on the Secretary to introduce any formal 

 business. 



R. Ivi^OYD PraEGER, Hon. Sec. I.F.C.U., said there was no official 

 business to come before the meeting. The especial object of the Con- 

 ference was to furnish members with an opportunity of discussing 

 matters in which all the clubs were interested. 



Prof. Johnson Symington, M.D., F.R.S. (Ex- Vice-President B.N.F.C), 

 introduced the question of the present condition of the National Museum 

 in Dublin as regarded staff and income. He pointed out what a great 

 assistance the existence of this Museum was, not only to Dublin workers 

 but to workers in all parts of Ireland : and instanced assistance rendered 

 to Cork, Belfast, and Londonderry. During the last twenty-five years, 

 while the staffs of other Government institutions had been increased 

 more or less in proportion to the increase of work devolving upon them, 

 the staff of the Dublin Museum had actually been diminished by the 

 partial withdrawal of one officer. He was glad to see lately letter from 

 a number of distinguished Irish naturalists, calling attention to the state 

 of affairs, and he moved : — 



"That this meeting of the Irish Field Club Union expresses cordial 

 approval of the letters on the Dublin Natural History Museum that have 

 lately appeared in the Irish Press : and urges on the Department of 

 Agriculture and Technical Instruction the necessity for placing the staff 

 and equipment of the Museum on a satisfactory basis, and thus render- 

 ing possible an extension of the valuable work done by that institution 

 for naturalists throughout Ireland." 



W. F. DE VrSMES Kane, M.A., D.I,., M.R.I.A. (Ex-President D.N.F.C), 

 seconded the resolution. He referred to the great and continual assist- 

 ance rendered by the Museum staff to the Field Clubs, and the Field 

 Clubs, he said, provided the raw material out of which the scientific men 

 of the country were produced. The crying want of the INIuseum was the 

 fact that the staff was quite inadequate for the working out of the valu- 

 able material which kept pouring into that institution, and the whole 

 country suffered thereby. 



Robert WEI.CH (B.N.F.C), supporting the resolution, bore eloquent 

 testimony of the value of the Museum staff and its collections to natura- 

 lists in Belfast. 



Dr. George J. Fogerty (Hon. Sec. L.F.C.), on behalf of the Limerick 

 Club, strongly endorsed the statement made by Mr. Welch. 



The resolution was passed unanimousl}-. 



W. F. DE V. Kane drew the attention of members to the presence of rare 

 blind Crustacea in the subterranean waters of Ireland. Caves and deep 

 wells in particular needed exploration, and he hoped members would 

 examine underground waters when opportunity offered. 



