ii6 The Irish Natjiralistn May, 



BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



SOCIETY. 



March 22.— A lecture was given by SeaTon F. Mii,ijgan, M.R.I.A., 

 F.R.S.A., oil "Around Youghal and the Blackwater with the Royal 

 Society of Antiquaries." 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



GEOI.OGICAI, Section.— This Section has recently resumed active 

 work, with James Orr as Acting Secretary. Several winter excursions 

 have been held. On the afternoon of February 13 over 20 members 

 visited the geological collections in Queen's College Museum, being 

 conducted by George C. Gough, F.G.S., Lecturer on Geology in the 

 College. On February 27 a large part}' visited Canimoney Hill, where 

 the quarries were examined with care. 



CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



February 26. — Miss H. A. Martin gave a lecture on *i Insectivorous 

 Plants," illustrated by lantern slides. She also exhibited a number of 

 botanical specimens collected on the excursions conducted by Prof. 

 Johnson last year. 



Aprii, 4. -The first excursion of the session took place. The party, 

 numbering twelve, went by rail to Raffeen, and walked, via Ballea Castle 

 to Carrigaline, thence home by train, conducted by Messrs. J. ly. 

 Copeman, R. A. Phillips, and James Porter, B.E. The physical and 

 geological features of the district were shown on sketch contour maps, 

 with transparent geological covering sheets prepared by Mr. Porter. 



From Raffeen the route la}- over the Carboniferous slate for about three 

 miles to Ballea, along its junction with the limestone which here over- 

 lies it, the chief feature being the post-glacial ravine of the Owenboy 

 river. The drainage of the ten mile section of the synclinal valley from 

 Upton to Ballea, originally consisting of an eastern and a western system, 

 uniting at Five-mile-Bridge to form a southward-flowing stream, was 

 upset through the closing of the southern exit by a deposit of glacial 

 clay. The waters accumulated to form a long narrow lake, which found 

 an exit over a depression at the extreme eastern end. The escaping 

 waters had such a fall into the Carrigaline valley on the south that they 

 were able, since the glacial period, to cut the picturesque ravine of 

 Ballea It was almost too early in the season for plant-collecting ; but 

 among those noted by the botanists may be mentioned Barbarea pracox, 

 Cochlear ta afi^/ha, Senccio vulgaris var. radiotus, Euphorbia hibcrna. Of Arum 

 77iaculatum about a dozen clumps of the spotted form were noticed, while 

 one plant, found by Mr. Copeman, had beautifully variegated leaves, all 

 their midribs and veins being bright yellow. 



