1896.] Proceedings of Irish Societies. 315 



tions, the great seals of Bugland, exhibited by John Vinycomb, formed 

 a distinctive feature. 



At eight o'clock the President, Lavens W. Ewart, took the chair. The 

 President, who was received with applause, said — I have to offer a 

 welcome on'^belialf of the Club to our visitors, and hope they may have 

 an enjoyable and profitable evening, and I have especially to express 

 our thanks to those who have come to help us in the business of the 

 present meeting. Many of them have come from afar, and we are 

 grateful to all from far and near. I should like to say a few words on a 

 subject of much importance at the present time, that of the Giant's 

 Causeway, and it is surely a subject which concerns the Club. As most 

 of those present must be aware, a few speculators have banded them- 

 selves together to endeavour to exclude the public from free access to 

 this truly gigantic creation in order to make money out of it for them- 

 selves, and they have invoked the Court of Chancery to establish them 

 in this undertaking. Three gentlemen, of whom, unfortunately, I am 

 one, have been served with writs in respect of so-called trespass, and the 

 battle has begun. A committee had already been formed to protect the 

 rights of the public, and they are defending the action. Owing to the 

 fact that the Causeway Syndicate is a public company they cannot be 

 required to give security for costs, and as their capital consists of, I am 

 informed, but £'], whether we win or lose we — that is to sa}^, the Causewav 

 defence committee — will have to pay our own costs. Our solicitors, 

 Messrs. Greer and Hamilton, of Ballymoney, estimate that the costs may 

 amount to ;^4oo, and this sum at least we must raise. We ask for help 

 in the matter of collecting subscriptipns, and collecting lists will be 

 supplied to all who will take them. We earnestly ask all those who 

 value liberty to take lists, and get their friends to take them, so that 

 practical interest may be aroused on all sides in asserting the indepen- 

 dence of the public. Large subscriptions, as a rule, are not asked for, 

 but small sums given by the many, for it is a matter which concerns the 

 many. Evidence is also wanted from those who have known of the 

 Causeway as a public resort for forty or fifty years or more. I shall not 

 occupy your time longer, but direct your attention to the different 

 exhibits mentioned in the programme. 



The remainder of the evening passed quickly over. 



October 31. — Botanicai, Section. A pleasing and interesting feature 

 was the presentation of a set of mounted Hieracia to Mr. S. A. Stewart. 

 This collection is being issued in four fascicles of twenty-five specimens 

 each, by Messrs. E. F. and W. .R. Linton. Rev. C. H. Waddei<i., in 

 presenting the first fascicle to Mr. Stewart on behalf of the subscribers, 

 read the following inscription: — "Set of British. Hieracia presented to 

 Samuel Alexander Stewart, F.B.S.E., in recognition of his valuable ser- 

 vices to Irish Botany, and especially in this genus, and as a mark of 

 their affection and esteem by Members of the Botanical Section of the 

 Belfast Naturalists' Field Club and other friends." Messrs. C. H. 

 Waddell, J. H. Davies, and others, spoke of Mr. Stewart's great services 

 to Irish Botany, and of the value of his " Flora of N.E. Ireland," and 



