Proceedings of Irish Societies. 319 



Mr. DueRDKN exhibiU'd specimens of Tubklava cornucopuc, Nornian 

 obtained by the Royal Duljlin vSociety's Fishery Survey of 189 1 froiil 

 Blacksod Bay. It is a very rare zoophyte, and is new to Irclan<l 

 It has previously been o1)tained from British waters ])y Canon 

 Norman, from about twenty miles north of I'nst in vScotland, para- 

 sitic on Astartc sulcata and Dcntaliutn cnlalis ; and by Alder from the coast 

 of Northumberland on D. cnlalis. The specimens from Blacksod ]{;iy were 

 obtained from a depth of six to ei.t^ht fithoms, ^rowin^' upon .-/. suLata. 

 There are four of these shells each with the animal inside, and the colony 

 is growing on the posterior extremity of each valve. This is the position 

 rubiclava takes up, as mentioned by Norman for his si)ecimens, so that 

 it will receive the full benefit of the current of water set up by the action 

 of the mollusc. The only other species of this genus is 7'. luccrna, Allnian, 

 and this is only known from two localities, one of which is Dublin Bay| 

 and the other Torquay. 



Mr. Henry H. Dixon showed karyokinetic figures exhibited by the 

 nuclei of the wall of the archegonium oWlnits sylvcstris. The numljcr of 

 the chromosomes in these nuclei is greater, as a rule, than those of the 

 other cells of the endosperm (gametophyte) and probably of the 

 oosphere. 



Mr. a. Francis Dixon exhibited a method of reconstruction from 

 serial microscopic sections. Each section is drawn by a camera lucida 

 and then from the drawings tracings are made on to glass plates. If the 

 drawings are made fifty times enlarged, then glass plates fifty times as 

 thick as the sections are used. Each plate is covered by a thin layer of 

 gum sandarac, which gives a transparent surface very easily drawn on by 

 an ordinary pen. When the plates are placed one on top of another a 

 very good effect is obtained if the whole is seen by transmitted light. 

 This method was first used by Professor His. 



Mr. D. McArdlE exhibited the liverwort Ccphalozia caloiulata, Huben, 

 in fruit, which he collected on Bere Island, County Cork. The plant 

 was found in a tuft oi Campy lopus fragilis on the 30tli of May last. It is 

 interesting on account of the great diversit}' of opinion which formerly 

 existed as to its exact relationship. It resembles some forms of C. 

 bictispidata, a common species, from which it may be easily distinguished 

 by its smaller size, tawny colour, greater rigidity of the whole plant, 

 dioecious injio7'escence, ciliolated mouth of the perianth, the small sub-opaque, 

 closely aerolated leaves, and the absence of flagellae. The plant has not 

 been reported from the County Cork previously. 



BEI^FAST NaTURAI^ISTS' FiEI<D CIvUB. 

 November ist. — Social Meeting, which was attended by about 500 

 members and friends. Immediately after tea, the President (Mr. Wm. 

 Swanston, F.G.S.) opened the proceedings \nth a few remarks. Later 

 in the evening a short formal meeting was held, at which twenty-four 

 new members were elected. The tables and walls of the Exhibition Hall 

 were crowded wdth exhibits, among which some of the more interesting 

 were Irish gold ornaments shown by Mr. Robert Day; Galway 

 marbles and granites, Mr. F. A. PoRTER ; Lepidoptera of Belfast district, 

 Mr, C. W. Watts ; Photographs illustrating Irish ethnography, geology, 

 and birds' nests, Mr. R. WeTvCh ; Prize collection of coleoptera, Mr. W. 

 D. Donnan ; Prize collection of flowering plants. Miss Rea ; Aquaria 

 and pond life, Mr. John Hamii^ton; Ferns, British and exotic, INIessrs. 

 W. H. PHII.EIPS and Chari.es M'Kimm ; Wood carving, Mr. Robert 

 May. A number of members showed microscopic pieparations, and 

 there was a lantern display during the evening. 



BEI.FAST NaTURAI. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



November 7th.— Mr. L. L. Macassey, B.L., C.E., gave a lecture on 

 " The Mourne Water Supply for Belfast." 



