254 T^^^<-^ Irish Naturalist. November, 



warerooiiis were the scene of the two soirees, which appear to 

 have been thoroughly enjo^-ed by the i,io8 members and 

 associates. One of the two evening discourses delivered in 

 May-street Church was by Col. Portlock on " The recent dis- 

 covery of Rock-Salt at Carrickfergus." Col, (aftenvards Lieut. - 

 General) Sabine was President, and among the Presidents of 

 Sections w^ere such distinguished Irish men of science as 

 Andrew^s. Portlock, and Whately. Irish natural histor}^ was well 

 represented in the Sections. Among the readers of geological 

 papers we find Andrews, Bryce, Forbes, Griffith, Grainger, 

 Jukes, King, MacAdam, M'Coj^ Salter, and Young ; in 

 biology, Balfour, Dickie, and Allman contributed papers on 

 the Irish flora, and Allman, Dickie, Forbes, Grainger, and 

 Hyndman on local zoology. We note also that three out of 

 fourteen Reports of Researches in Science came from Ireland, 

 and tw^o out of eleven grants in aid of research went to Irish 

 committees. 



In 1878 the population of Belfast had nearly doubled itself 

 since the former meeting, and the great Ulster Hall was 

 available for Tyndall's famous Presidential Address, and the 

 lectures and soirees that succeeded it. Among the Presidents 

 of Sections we note the names of Jellett, Hull, Redfern, 

 O'Hagan, and James Thomson. The increase of attendance 

 at the meeting was proportionate to the growth of the town, 

 the roll including 1,951 names. Irish geology was again well 

 represented in Section C, papers being submitted by Grainger, 

 Hardman, Harkness, Hull, G. H. Kinahan, Langtrj^, James 

 Thomson, W. A. Traill, and Joseph Wright. In the Biological 

 Section, S. A. Stew^art contributed to the botanical programme, 

 and Macalister to the zoological, while William Archer read 

 papers in both departments. Two local papers read in the 

 Engineering Section received the honour of being ordered to 

 be printed in exte7iso in the Report ; namely — T. R. Salmond 

 on Belfast Harbour, and J. Smith, jun., on the Upper Bann. 



It is interesting to note, in connection with the work which 

 the readers of this Journal have at heart, that the number of 

 papers dealing with Irish natural history contributed to the 

 three Belfast meetings has been almost identical, notwith- 

 standing the great changes which have taken place in the half 

 century which they cover. The figures are as follows : — 



