1 91 8. Irish Societies. 51 



February 14. — J. de W. Hinch, President, in the chair. The business 

 of the meeting was a discussion on " The present state of opinion on the 

 Darwinian theory." Prof. Carpenter, who opened the discussion, dealt 

 with the developments of opinion regarding the origin of species since 1859, 

 and pointed out the essential facts of the theories of Weismann, Hu.ton, 

 Mendel, and De Vries. The discussion was continued by W. F. Gunn, 

 Prof. Henry, N. Colgan, and L. Gubbins. 



CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



May 17. — Excursion to Ballyvolane. — Professor Isaac Swain con- 

 ducted a large party to the gravel pits and glen in this vicinity and 

 described many features of geological interest. The stream flowing through 

 the glen gives the name of " Watercourse " to what was formerly a large 

 industrial area in the district, and a small lake known as " the pool " 

 gives the name of " Blackpool " to the suburb. The glen was well 

 wooded until recent years and is immortalized by song and story in local 

 literature as " The Groves of the Pool." 



May 29. — Annual Meeting. — The report was read and a vote of thanks 

 passed to James Noonan, Honorary Secretary, who retired after a long and 

 active association with the Club. Mr. Holland was appointed as his 

 successor. 



Sept. 27. — Excursion to Wood-hill. — Owing to the inclemency of the 

 weather, only a small party visited this interesting house and grounds by 

 kind permission of Sir Keith Eraser. The house possesses many historic 

 associations connected with art and literature. Some remarkably fine trees 

 on the grounds were examined. Two fine avenues of oaks were observed 

 in the neighbourhood, one of which is reputed to have been planted by 

 Sir Walter Raleigh, who lived for a short time in the district. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



January 8. — The Club met at Leinster House, the President (N. 

 Colgan) in the chair. 



H. A. Lafferty showed microscopic preparations of germinating 

 spores of Ustilago hordei, the fungus which causes " covered ' smut 

 of Barley. These preparations clearly showed that the spores on 

 germination produce a promycelium which bears conidia. By means 

 of these conidia the seedling plants are infected. 



Prof. G. H. Carpenter and F. J. S. Pollard showed the anterior 

 spiracles of the Horse Bot larva {Gastrophilus equi) and of the Ox Warble 

 Maggot {Hypoderma bovis). In the former these spiracles are functional 

 being provided with numerous small openings, as described by Enderlein 

 {Sitzb. K. A had. Wien, cviii., i, 1899), whereas in the latter they are 

 vestigial and useless, the spiracular trachea being plugged with a solid 

 chitinous core. 



