50 The Irish Naturalist. [Feb. 



be permanently accessible to the Club ? Chronological order need not 

 be observed, provided that each pamphlet receives a number, and a 

 triple index, arranged according to date, authors, and subjects, be kept 

 going. Thus Jean Fran9ois Berger's papers in the early Transactions of 

 the Geological Society of London — containing, by-the-by, the best 

 account hitherto published of the rocks of Sandy Braes— the works of 

 Sir A, Geikie on Tertiary volcanic activity in our islands, Prof. Judd's 

 three papers on the Secondary rocks of Scotland, and separate copies of 

 geological papers in the Field Club's own Proceedings, should be 

 collected whenever opportunity occurs. Second-hand catalogues will 

 help, in the case of authors who are no longer living or who are unable 

 to spare copies of their papers. The Geological Section has now estab- 

 lished its position ; every field-worker in our islands will be happy to 

 assist in observations so brightly and energetically carried out. 



GRENVir,i,E A. J. C01.K. 



PROCEEDINGS OF IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAI, ZOOI^OGICAI, SOCIE'TY. 



Recent donations comprise a Squirrel and a Plover from Master Des- 

 pard ; a pair of Wolves and a pair of Storks have been purchased. 

 3,170 persons visited the Gardens in December. 



Dubinin Microscopicai, Ci.ub. 



DeckmbKR 19th.— The Club met at Mr. Matthew Hedi^Ky's, who 

 exhibited a section of the intestine of a Lamb in which the presence of a 

 large number of coccidia was evident. Coccidiosis or psorospermosis of 

 the liver of the domestic Rabbit is comparatively common, and the disease 

 is not rare among wild Rabbits. In that form in which the liver is at- 

 tacked, the parasite has been designated Coccidiiiru oviforme. Besides this 

 there is another form, which attacks both Pheasants and Rabbits almost 

 identical, and which invades the intestinal epithelium, named Coccidium 

 pcrfornns. It is probable that the Lamb, in the instance under discussion, 

 was affected by the C. perforans. The Coccidia belong to the class Sporozoa, 

 and like the others of that class are reproduced by spores ; there is an 

 absence of flagella, cilia or suckers. They are parasitic in habit, and in 

 the adult stage possess a capsule or shell. Mr. Hedley laid on the table 

 a large number of transparencies which illustrated the characteristics 

 and life history, so far as such is known, of this interesting division of 

 Sporozoa. For these transparencies and slides he expressed indebtednes? 

 .to Professor M'Fadyean, of London. 



