498 The Irish Naturalist. 



obvious that Howth is by no means below the average of any other similar 

 locality on the Irish coast. 



May 8th. — Prof. W. J. Soiyl,AS read a paper on " The relative age of 

 the Igneous Rocks at Barnavane, Carlingford." The intrusion of the 

 granite into the gabbro at Barnavane was noted by Dr. Haughton and 

 by Mr. Traill. There is no doubt whatever as to the accuracy of their 

 conclusions; but we find in places the two rocks most intimately mingled, 

 a fine plexus of granite veins, even on a microscopic scale, penetrating 

 the gabbro, which becomes reduced to isolated flecks and fragments. 

 Certain specimens, treated apart from the field evidence, would have been 

 considered as gabbro containing mere segregation-veins. The indepen- 

 dence of the two magmas is, in the surface-phenomena, at any rate, 

 completely demonstrable, despite the actual fusion of portions of the 

 gabbro by the invading granite. A good discussion followed, in which 

 Dr. Haughton, Dr. V. Ball, Mr. G. H. Kinahan, Prof. Cole, and 

 Mr. J. Nolan, took part. 



Mr. J. E. DuERDBN read a paper " On some new and rare Irish 

 Polyzoa." The contribution dealt with the known British species of 

 Retepora, Crista, Trittcella, and Ascopodaria. Examples of the finest British 

 species of Retepora, R. conchii, Hincks, were exhibited. Prof. AUman's dis- 

 covery of Retepora beaniana. King, from the west coast was confirmed. 

 The six British species of Crista were recorded from Dublin bay, in- 

 cluding the newly-described C. ramosa of Harmer. The occurrence of 

 three species of Triticella was described. Two, T. horenii, G. O. Sars, and 

 T. pedicellata. Alder, have been only once recorded from English waters, 

 and T. boeckii, G. O. Sars, is recorded for the first time from British waters. 

 The abundance in which these rare forms occur on the west coast of 

 Ireland has enabled the author to show the presence of a horny crest 

 in all the three known species of this genus. The recently described 

 species Ascopodaria nodosa, Lomas, was found by Mr. Duerden in material 



from Killiney bay. 



RoYAi. Dubinin Society. 



June 21st. — Prof. G. a. J. Coi,e in the chair. Mr. R. J. Moss read 

 a paper "On a Graphitic Schist from Donegal." An analysis showed 

 that graphite was not present in sufiicient quantity for the rock to be 

 commercially valuable. 



Mr. G. H. Carpenter read a paper "On some Pycnogonida from the 

 Irish Coasts." The cruises of the "Fingal" and "Harlequin" and other 

 collections, examined by the author, have yielded the following species : — 

 Nymphon gracile. Leach, Dublin, Queenstown; N. rubrum, Hodge, Dublin; 

 N. gallicum, Hoek, west coast ; F/toxichilidiujn fejnorattim , Rathke, east 

 and west coasts; Anoplodactyhis petiolatns, Kr., west coast; Phoxichilus spinosus, 

 Mont., west coast; P, Icevis, Grube, Dublin and west coast; Pycnogonuni 

 littorale, Strom, east and west coasts. Only the first, fourth, and last of 

 these are recorded in Thompson's list in the "Natural History of Ireland" ; 

 the other six species in that list must probably remain of doubtful iden- 

 tity, except ChcBtonymphon spinosum, Goods. The form now called Phoxichilus 

 Icevis, Grube, has been recorded in the Irish Nat. (vol. i., pp. 42, 168) as 

 P. spinosus. The two forms are distinguishable, but it may be doubted if 

 they can be regarded as distinct species. 



Mr. GiiyBERT C. Bourne contributed a paper on "The Post-embryonic 

 Development of Fungise." The budding and separation undergone by 

 these corols is suggestive of an alternation of generations. 



SE1.BORNE Society, Ferns Branch. 



We are glad to learn that a branch of the Selborne Society has been 

 formed at Ferns, Co. Wexford, under the presidency of Dr. G. E. J. Greene ; 

 Miss M. Kenny is the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. The new 

 society intends to devote itself especially to the study of Natural History; 

 we heartily wish it success, and hope to record the results of its work. 



