54 The Irish Naturalist . [Feb. 



FIKI.D CI.UB NEWS. 



The accounts of the Galway Conference are only now finally closed. 

 They show a turn-over of over ;^5oo during the week, and, all charges being 

 paid, a balance of just i6s. remains in the Secretary's hands. A still closer 

 cut was made in the case of the Dublin Club's Excursion account for the 

 past year, which, with a total turn-over of ^210, shows a balance on 

 hands of 2d. ! 



The Cork Field Club purpose holding a Conversazione on March loth, 

 in conjunction with the I^iterary and Scientific Society. Arrangements 

 are being made whereby all the Irish Field Clubs will be represented 

 personally or by exhibits. 



When, two years ago, the Belfast Club decided to make a collection of 

 specimens of the rocks of their district, a hope was expressed that 

 microscopic sections of many of the rocks would also be presented. Mr. 

 Robert Bell has given the first section as yet received, being a portion of 

 the dyke of basaltic andesite which he recently discovered at Ballygo- 

 martin, and other members have intimated their intention of bestowing 

 similar gifts. The possession of a representative collection of rocks of 

 their district will probably commend itself to all our Clubs, whose 

 members recall the great advantage which they experienced during the 

 Galway Conference in seeing the fine collection of local specimens in 

 the Queen's College Museum. 



Arrangements are now complete for the course of lectures on Sea- weeds 

 by Professor T. Johnson, d.sc, which we mentioned in our last issue. 

 The lectures will be given on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, 

 commencing, on Saturday, March 7th, and several will take the form of 

 excursions for the study of Sea-weeds in their native haunts. Inquiries 

 about the course (the fee for which is only 10s. for the twelve lectures) 

 should be addressed to Professor Johnson at the College of Science, 

 Stephen's Green. 



Professor J. W. Carr, M.A., lectured to a large audience of the Notting- 

 ham Naturalists' Society on January 14th, on the Field Club Union 

 Excursion to Galway last July. The President (W. Stafford, m.b.) occu- 

 pied the chair. The lecture was illustrated by the beautiful series of 

 lantern views of the excursion by Mr. R. Welch, which most of our 

 readers have already had an opportunity of seeing, and by a fine set of 

 plants collected on the trip. The lecture was followed with deep 

 interest, and very high praise was bestowed on the slides by experts 

 who were present. 



Dr. R. F. Scharff has contributed to the Mcmoircs of the Socitte. 

 Zoologi'que de France a most valuable paper, Etude siir les Mammifh-es dela Rigion 

 Holarcticpie et Ictirs Relations avec cetix des Regions voisines, for which the Czar's 

 prize was awarded at the Moscow International Zoological Congress. 

 The present and past distribution of each animal is dealt with in turn, 

 and conclusions are drawn therefrom regarding the geological history 

 of Europe during Tertiary times. 



