1 6 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



BELFAST NfATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



November i4.~Convp:rsazione.— This vSociety held a successful 

 meeting in the Exhibition Hall of the Botanic Gardens. The following 

 objects were displayed and explained by their respective owners: — 

 Botanical exhibits —new and rare plants of County Down, by Rev. C, 

 H. Waddell, B.D. ; rare plants recently found in Ireland, by R. 1^. Praeger ; 

 rare mosses and hepatics, some new to Ireland, and brambles from the 

 Count}- Down new to science, b}- Rev. Canon Lett. M.A. ; mounted 

 botanical specimens, the property of the Municipal Technical Institute, 

 by Mr. Forth ; movinted specimens of plants collected on the summer 

 excursions, by Mr. N. C. Carrothers. In the zoology section the living 

 animals attracted much attention. Mr. Robert Patterson had Irish 

 hedgehogs; Mr. Hamilton, Natterjack toad and Jersey toad; Mr. W. H. 

 Gallway, lizards. These members also exhibited other objects — silk moths 

 and skulls. Professor Symington had an exhibit of cuttlefish, collected 

 on the coast of Normandy, while Mr. M'Lean exhibited an octopus and 

 several other rare specimens, collected on the shores near Holywood 

 during the present week. Mr. S. M. Stears's large and systematically- 

 arranged collection, comprising birds' eggs, butterflies, and moths, repre- 

 sented much labour, which was duly appreciated by the numbers who 

 crowded round his table. Mr. Nevin Foster had a fine instructive series 

 of birds and eggs, illustrating comparative sizes of eggs laid by birds of 

 about the same size. Mr. Welch, Mr. Lamont Orr, and Mr. W. A. Green 

 had very large collections of land and freshwater shells excellently 

 mounted and named. Mr. George G. Reillj^ exhibited shells and beetles. 

 Miss M. K. Andrews's exhibit dealt very fully with the orbicular granite 

 of Mullaghderg^ the actual rock specimens, with micro-slides and photo- 

 graphs of the locality, dealing exhaustively with her subject. Mr. 

 Wright, F.G.S., had foramiuifera from the raised beach of Sherkiu 

 Island; INIr. Bulla, fossil fish from Carboniferous shale beds; Mr. Bell, 

 Cretaceous cephalopoda, from Counties Antrim and Derry ; Mr. James 

 Orr, a beautiful collection illustrating sea-urchins, recent and fossil. 

 Mr. T. Brown's collection of precious stones and gems found many 

 admirers. The President (Mr. F, J. Bigger, M R I.A.) had a varied 

 exhibit, consisting of the following: — An ancient Irish mether found 

 near Monivea, Irish scales and weights, fragments of pottery recently 

 discovered on Cave Hill, and a fine collection of weapons recently in use 

 in New Zealand. Miss M. C. Knowles had objects from the pre-historic 

 sites in County Clare ; Mr. George E. Reilly, recent finds from the cran- 

 noges of Lough IMourne, including remains of the Irish elk ; Mr. Robert 

 Day, stone implements from County Antrim, fossil nautili and silicified 

 wood from Lough Neagh; Mr. W. J. Fennell, measured drawings of 

 souterrains in Antrim and Down. In the archceological section the 

 exhibit that attracted the most attention was the valuable collection 



