ii8 The Irish Naturalist. 



y^losoma varians, Beimet's lough and tanks at Queen's College; ^ sp. 

 with granules colourless instead of green or red, Bennet's lough ; 

 Bohemilla 07-nata, Vejd., Bennet's lough, this species has tufts of as many 

 as seven dorsal setae, which are frayed or plumose, giving the worm a 

 very polychsete appearance. 



Limerick Naturai^ists' Fiei^d Ci^ub. 



March 14th.— The President, Mr. A. Murray, in the chair. Mr. 

 Robert Gibson read a paper entitled "An Introduction to the Study 

 of Geology," illustrating it with coloured diagrams and maps, and 

 examples of local rocks and fossils. Mr. Murray, Mr. Taylor, Mr. 

 Gibson, Mr. Belshaw, and Dr. Todd took part in the discussion which 

 followed. 



Mr. F. Neai,E showed specimens of the Greasy Fritillary (Melitea 

 aitrinia var. hibernica), and a colony of its 3'oung gregarious larvae spun 

 up in their winter domicile, or web. This insect appears to occur 

 plentifully at Cratloe, and Mr. Kane states that it is the distinctively 

 Irish type, and as such is an interesting record. 



RoYAi. Dubinin Society. 



January nth. — Prof. Soi,i,as in the chair. Dr. J. Joi^y read a paper 

 entitled " A Suggestion as to the cause of the bright colour of Alpine 

 Flowers." Flowers growing at high altitudes are much brighter than 

 those of the same species in valleys. This has been explained by Helm- 

 holtz and others as due to the brighter sunlight ; but Dr. Joly considers it 

 to be the result of a process of natural selection of the brighter flowers, 

 which alone succeed in attracting insects, and so securing fertilisation ; 

 as the short seasons, and great destruction of insects by cold in alpine 

 regions must render the struggle for existence among flowering-plants 

 severe. Prof. T. Johnson and Rev. W. S. Green took part in the discus- 

 sion, the latter remarking that in the New Zealand Alps the flowers at 

 high elevations are very pale. 



Prof. G. A. J. Coi,e gave a paper on Hemitrypa hibernica. This interest- 

 ing fossil will be described for readers of The Irish Naturalist in his forth- 

 coming paper on the Irish Fenestellidse. 



February 21st. — A paper on Human Sacrum was communicated by 

 Prof. Paterson. 



RoYAiv Irish Academy. 



February 13th. — Prof. M. M. Hartog read a paper "On the Cytology 

 of the Saprophytse." 



February 27th. — Dr. C. R. Browne read a paper " On some Crania 

 from Tipperary." A grant of ^^20 was voted to a Committee consisting 

 of Dr. Scharfif, Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger ; Mr. A. G. More; Mr. R. M. 

 Barrington ; Mr. Greenwood Pim ; Mr. H. Dixon ; Dr. M'Weeney ; Mr. 

 G. H. Carpenter ; Professor T. Johnson ; and Professor B. P. Wright, to 

 aid them in framing a Report on the present state of our knowledge of 

 the Flora and Fauna of Ireland, and as to what is needed to bring this 

 knowledge up to date. 



This Committee held its preliminary meeting on March i8th. Dr. 

 Scharff was elected chairman and treasurer, and Mr. Carpenter convener. 

 Prof. E. P. Wright explained the objects for which the Committee had 

 been formed. The section appointed to prepare the preliminary report 

 on the Irish Flora consists of Mr. H. H. Dixon, Prof. T. Johnson 

 (convener), Dr. M'Weeney, Mr. A. G. More, and Mr. Greenwood Pim. 

 The section to report on the Irish Fauna, including Tertiary Palaeontology, 

 consists of Mr. R. M. Barrington, Mr. G. H. Carpenter, Mr. R. L. Praeger, 

 and Dr. Scharfi'. 



