1896.] Proccedi7igs of Irish Societies. 245 



Prof. Coi,E showed a section of andesitic volcanic tuff, as an example 

 of the series known as " pyroxenic rocks " near the summit of Slieve 

 Gallion, west of Lough Neagh. These rocks had hitherto been regarded 

 as metamorphic, but Prof Cole hoped to show that a considerable 

 volcanic series occurred as a capping above the granite of that area, 

 which had intruded into it at a later date. 



Mr. M'ArdIvE exhibited specimens oi Jiingermania exsecta, Schmidel, a 

 rare liverwort which he collected last June on Sheep-pool Bog, Clon- 

 brock. The leaves are arranged in two rows, ovate in outline, with their 

 apex bluntly bi- or tridentate, and having about the middle of the upper 

 margins a strong tooth which points obliquely upwards. The plant is 

 very local. Dr. Carrington found it at Killarney, and Dr. D. Moore 

 recorded it from Gleniff, Co. Leitrim, and Sallagh Braes, Co. Antrim. It 

 has not been previously found in the Co. Galway. 



]\Ir. W. HaughTON showed specimens of Triboliiim ferruginetwi. Fab., 

 which had been found on empty flour-sacks. These small beetles often 

 occur in large numbers in mills and warehouses among flour, and 

 multiplying at a high rate, are very injurious and hard to exterminate, 



BEI.FAST NaTURAI^ISTS' F1KI.D C1.UB. 



Dredging Cruise. 

 On Saturday, 4th July, the Belfast Club held a somewhat unusual ex- 

 cursion : a dredging cruise having been arranged to Belfast Lough 

 and adjacent bays. There has not been a dredging trip in this neigh- 

 bourhood for some time, so that it was of some interest. Unfortunately 

 for the enjoyment of the party, the morningproved very wet and drizzling, 

 but no wa}' deterred a party of nearly fifty from assembling on board the 

 Steam Tug "Storm Light" before ten o'clock; at which time the whistle 

 blew for the last time, and the vessel started for the day's work. The 

 guiding genii of the day held a conference almost immediately, to settle 

 the plans of action, following which the boat was headed for Carrick- 

 fergus : on arrival at the desired locality, all the appliances having been 

 previously made ready, the vessel was slowed down, and the first dredge 

 lowered over the side. Ten minutes or so was allowed for the filling of 

 the net, and on the signal being given, a number of willing helpers lent a 

 hand, and soon had the first haul on board : a cast of the lead showing 

 3J fathoms. The take proved to contain a large quantity of corallines of 

 various species, with much other material, all of which was emptied out 

 into large flat trays and distributed about the after end of the vessel, for 

 purposes of examination. Hitherto the weather had been getting 

 steadily worse, until at this point the collecting of specimens was eagerly 

 being carried on amid a downpour of rain. Meanwhile the "Storm 

 Light" proceeded at full speed to the second station, three quarters of a 

 mile from Whitehead, where a scrape in 9^ fathoms brought up a most 

 miscellaneous haul, which kept the collectors of ascidians, crustaceans, 

 seaweeds, worms, &c., occupied until the vessel was well under the 

 great cliffs of the Gobbins. Here, sailing close under the precipitous 

 face, the steam whistle's blast raised from their ledges a cloud of sea- 

 gulls, whose screaming cries and wheeling flight distracted the scientists' 



