19 TT. Irish Societies . 71 



February 18. — Botanical Section — Alex. Milligan read a paper 

 entitled " The Study of Fungi." 



February 21. — R. J. Welch (President) in the Chair. Prof. G. A. 

 J. Cole lectured on " The Close of an Ice Age, or Comparison between 

 Spitzbergen and Ireland in 1910." The lecturer dealt with observationsi 

 made during a visit to Spitzbergen last summer on glacial phenomena, 

 and showed how many of the features of Irish glacial geology can be 

 explained by what can be actually seen taking place at the present time 

 in Spitzbergen. 



March i. — Zoological Section. — The evening was devoted to a 

 discussion on the dispersal of plants and animals, in which the foUowinsj 

 members took part : — N. H. Foster, R. LI. Praeger, F. Balfour Browne. 

 A. W. Stelfox, A. R. Dwerryhouse, Prof. Gwyn Vaughan, H. L. Orr, and 

 C. M. Cunningham. 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



November 12. — Winter Excursion to the Botanic Gardens. — Only a 

 few members took part in this excursion. Owing to the unfavourable 

 weather the party confined their attention to the plants in the green- 

 houses. The chrysanthemums were first inspected and then the Cactus 

 house ; in this house are grouped plants from the desert regions of a 

 xerophilous nature. In the stove house great interest was taken in the 

 various tropical economic plants. A visit to the Orchid and Palm House 

 concluded the afternoon. 



November 15. — The twenty-fifth Winter Session was opened with a 

 Conversazione in the house of the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, 

 under the presidency of R. J. Ussher, D.L., M.R.I. A. The attendance 

 was fairly large, 152 members and visitors being present. At 8.30 p.m. 

 the President took the chair, and after the usual formalities were over, 

 Prof. G. A. J. Cole, F.G.S., delivered a very interesting lecture on "'The 

 Close of an Ice Age : a Comparison between Spitzbergen and Ireland," 

 which was illustrated by a number of lantern slides showing some of the 

 most notable leatures of the island, as well as a series of similar geological 

 formations in Ireland. 



During the evening a collection of objects of scientific interest were 

 on view ; these included the following :^C. F. Ball — Some Photographs 

 showing Alpine Plants in their natural haunts. Richard M. Barrington, 

 M.R.I. A. — (a) Specimens of the Red-backed Shrike (L. colluns) from 

 Wicklow Head and the Fastnet Rock Light stations ; (6) Nest of wasp 

 (Vespa sylvestris) inside that of the House Martin (Cotile riparia). J 

 Bayley Butler. M.A., M.B. — Spicule^ 01 some Holothurians under the 

 polariscope. Miss Buchanan — (a) Specimens of petrified n.ollasc.s from 

 Gortatole quarry. County Fermanagh ; (b) A collection of :ossiL. 

 Professor G. H. Carpenter, M.R.I. A. — Reindeer Warble Fly (QLdtmagenu 

 Tarandi), with eggs and larva;, from the Dublin Zoological Gardens. 

 Professor Grenville A. J. Cole, M.R.I.A., F.G.S. — Specimens of scratched 

 stones and shelly boulder clay from existing glaciers in Spitzbergen (lent 



