i9°7- Proceedings of Irish Societies. 249 



tea. A business meeting was held outside, when a vote of congratula- 

 tion to the President, on his election into the Linnean Society, was 

 passed. Belfast was reached shortly after 8 o'clock. 



Time did not permit of much exploration, nevertheless the botanists 

 reported having noted a few interesting, and by no means plentiful 

 plants, among them being Geranium striatum. The Henbane was ob- 

 tained at Comber. The ornithologists reported having noted 29 species 

 of birds. 



June 29.— Sixty-one members and friends joined the excursion to 

 Slemish, going by the 9.15 train, and driving up the valley of the 

 Braid from Ballymena. A halt of an hour's duration at Skerry allowed 

 the party to visit the remains of the church on the hill, when the drive 

 was continued to the base of the mountain. Fully one-half of the party 

 climbed to the summit, from which there was a magnificent view. 

 Remounting the brakes, the next stopping place was Crebill}- House, 

 where the members were entertained to tea by Mr. John Dinsmore. 

 Five new members were elected at the business meeting, and after ex- 

 ploring the demesne, the return iourney was made to Ballymena, which 

 was left at 736. 



Slemish is 1,437 feet in height, and, as an isolated neck of Tertiary 

 dolerite, is the most notable eruptive mass in Co. Antrim. Some of the 

 rarer orchids known to occur were observed in plenty, such as 

 Gymnadenia albida and G. conopsea. Lastrea a mula was also noted at 

 Skerry. Ctterach officinarum was observed growing profusely on one of 

 the bridges passed over during the da}% and at a hitherto unrecorded 

 locality. In the Crebilly demesne LathrcEa sqttamaria, Anchusa semper- 

 virens, and Epipactis latifolia were obtained. One member picked up on 

 Slemish a specimen of Helix horlemis, which is a new count)- record for 

 Antrim. 



DUBLIN MARINE BIOLOGY COMMITTEE. 



On Saturday, 13th July, the first excursion of the Dublin Marine 

 Biology Committee took place. The Committee met at 9.30 a.m. at 

 Kingstown, and sailed in Captain Saunder's trawler to the east of the 

 Burford Bank. They shot a trawl in 13! fathoms, and towed for an 

 hour, making for Ireland's Eye. The remainder of the time was spent 

 dredging off the Bailey Light and off the Mugglins. The dredging off 

 Howth did not yield much, owing to the large amount of Corporation 

 rubbish deposited by the Ed/ana, but much valuable material was got in 

 the trawl. 



