3i8 The hish Naturalist. December, 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent gifts include a Badger from Mr. J. Stuart, a Barn Owl from Mr. 

 G. Campbell, a Corncrake from Mrs. Powell, a Sparrow-hawk from Mr. 

 J. Varian, a paii of Bullfinches and four Crayfish from Mr. W. W. 

 Despard, a Black Cuckoo from Mr. H. B. Rathborne, two Parrots from 

 the Countess of Portarlington, and six Ceylonese Terrapins from Mr. A. 

 E. Jamracli 



Three Lion Cubs and a Llama have been born in the Gardens. An 

 Antelope, a pair of Lemurs, three Squirrels, and a pair of Indian 

 Porphyries have been purchased. 



BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



SOCIETY. 



November 5. — The President of the Society, John Brown, F.R.S., gave 

 an opening address on the subject:— " The Liquefaction of Gases." 

 Some experiments with liquid air were shown, the material for which 

 was supplied by Mr. Richard J. Moss, Royal Dublin Society. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB, 



September 27. The Gobbins.— The interest taken in the cliff path 

 round the Gobbins, now in course of construction by the Northern 

 Counties Railwa}' Company, was shown by the fact that 126 members 

 and friends — the record number for a Club excursion — took part in this 

 last field meeting of the season. The path and caves, which have been 

 recently described in this Journal, were visited, and an instructive 

 day was spent. 



JUI.Y 26. The Giant's Ring Excursion.— The Editors' apologies 

 are due to the Belfast P'ield Club for an error on p. 251 of this Journal, 

 where it is stated that no excursion took place on this date. The official 

 conductor did not put in an appearance, but fortunately one of the 

 Secretaries of the Dublin Club was present, and at his suggestion 14 

 members started as arranged, and carried out the programme, visiting 

 the Giant's Ring and the Lagan, and spending a profitable and pleasant 

 afternoon. Insects were conspicuous by their absence^ and the fields 

 were so saturated by recent rains that botanical collecting was not 

 promising. The only noteworthy plant found was Carex teretiusatla^ 

 which occurs in a small marsh just below the Ring. This was, no doubt, 

 the very spot where, nearly a century ago, Templeton found this sedge. 

 Mr. Davies refound the plant in 1896, and it is still there in some 

 quantity. No other station in County Down was known until, in the 

 present year, Mr. Praeger discovered it near Ardglass. The President 



