T902. The British Associatio?i in Belfast. 301 



Mountain, where the exposures of rh^'olite on both the north 

 and south sides of the hill were examined. After tea at 

 Tardree Inn, the party walked to Antrim, and took an 

 evening train home. 



Friday to Moxdav, September 19-22. 



Antrim Coast.-— A pleasant party of twenty-six spent the 

 week-end following the meeting in " doing" the Antrim 

 coast. This was a special Belfast Field Club excursion, 

 thrown open to members of the British Association, and those 

 who availed themselves of the privilege were well rewarded. 

 The party spent the first day in driving by the Coast Road 

 from Larne to Garron Tower. Next day, Glenariff was 

 explored in the morning, and in the afternoon the journey was 

 continued to Ballycastle. Sunday was an off day ; many short 

 excursions were held. On Monday, Fair Head was visited, 

 and in the evening, Belfast was reached in time to enable 

 English visitors to catch the cross-Channel steamers. Messrs. 

 W. J. Fennell, W. Gray, and J. St. J. Phillips conducted the 

 excursion admirably. 



MISCRLI.ANEA. 



A Great Belfastman. 



In concluding his Presidential Address in the Zoological Section, Professor 

 G. B. Howes said : — " I feel that we must not leave this place without 

 a word of sympathy and respect for the memory of one of its sons, an 

 earnest devotee to our cause. William Thompson, born in Belfast, 1806, 

 became in due time known as 'the father of Irish natural history.' By 

 his writings on the Irish fauna, and his numerous additions to its lists, 

 he secured for himself a lasting fame. In his desire to benefit others, he 

 early associated himself with the work of the Natural History Society, 

 which still flourishes in this city. He was President of this Section in 

 1843, and died in London in 1852, while in the service o^ our Association, 

 in his forty-seventh year, beloved by all who knew him. His memory still 

 survives ; and if, as a result of this meeting, we can inspire in the members 

 of the Natural History and Philosophical Society of this city, as it is now 

 termed, and of its Naturalists' Field Club, an enthusiasm equal to his, we 

 shall not have assembled in vain," 



