igii. Irish Societies. 93 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent "ifts include a Slow Loris and a Beugalese Cat from Mr. C. G, 



D 



Rogers, a young Serval from Capt. T. Crcan, Badgers from Messrs. J. C. 

 Bagot and J. Grocock, a Cave Rat from Dr. Garland, Rabbits from Mr. 

 H. Sanderson, a Red and Blue Macaw from Mr. F. D'Arcy Thompson, 

 a Red -breasted Merganser from Mr. P. Gleeson, twelve Sheldrake from 

 Mr. R. M. Barrington, Mr. H. B. Rathborne and Mr. W. J. Williams, a 

 Wild Duck from Mr. M. L. Hearn, and a West African Python from Sir 

 Philip C. Smyly. 



The three American Black Bears have lately been placed in the large 

 open den near the pit where the Polar Bear and Syrian Bear are kept, 

 so that all the bears in the gardens are now close together and are shown 

 to great advantage. Two small cages with wire fronts in the apse of 

 the Roberts House have been completed, and are now occupied by a 

 pair of young Caracals. These animals were at first much alarmed at 

 the proximity of their large relations, the Lions and Tigers, but they are 

 now quite contented and peaceful. The new Sheldrakes have been 

 placed in the old seal-pond, where they make a very attractive display. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



March 8. — The Club met at Leinster House, A. R. Nichols, M.A. 

 (President) in the Chair. 



Dr. G. H. Pethybridge exhibited " spore "-bearing pure cultures of 

 the potato-blight fungus (Phytophthora infestans) growing saprophytically 

 on an agar medium prepared from an extract of Lima bean seeds. The 

 cultures had been received from Professor L. R. Jones, of the University 

 of Wisconsin, U.S.A. It is only in recent years that complete success has 

 attende.l the efforts made (largely in the LTnited States) to cultivate this 

 eminently parasitic fungus in an artificial medium, but that it retains 

 its virulence as a parasite when grown under these conditions was evidenced 

 by the fact that cut-slices of living potato- tubers, which had been 

 inoculated from the pure cultures received from America, and which were 

 exhibited, had become typically affected with " bli4;ht," and were 

 producing a plentiful crop of mycelium "spores." He also showed 

 the parasitic fungus Sclerotinia (Monilia) cincrea Schrot., causmg serious 

 damage to a cherry tree from King's Co. This is the second record of 

 this fungus in Ireland, it having previously obtained on plums from 

 Co. Antrim. {Irish Nat., vol. xix., 1910, p. 79). 



G. P. Far RAN showed a specimen of the pelagic copepod Aegisthus 

 mucronatus, from the west coast of Ireland. The species is remarkable 

 for the great length of the furca, the branches of which are very slender, 

 fused together, and about four times as long as the rest of the animaL 



Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed Acrotelsa collaris. Fab., a large 

 tropical lepismalid bristle-tail from the Seychelles. Under the microscope, 

 he demonstrated a dissected ovipositor, calling attention to the series of 

 strong blunt teeth on the inner aspect of the paired genital processes. 



