355 



and opening the body, the little ones came out alive. Another 

 instance from the same periodical (p. 160), was also alluded to, and 

 he concluded with some i-emarks in reference to the absence of 

 reptiles from Ireland, and the difficulty in accounting for this fact. 

 Bearing in mind the argument of Sir Charles LycU from the 

 similarity of the fauna and flora of the two countries that England 

 and Ireland were once connected by land within the post-pliocene 

 period, if the migration westwards of the viper extended so far as 

 Devonshire and the western islands of Scotland, why should it have 

 stopped there and not crossed still further west and reached Ireland 1 



Mr. Stephen Mitchell and the President spoke upon the 

 subject broached by Mr. Winwood, and the meeting concluded. 



The Third Evening Meeting took place on 21st February. Mr. 

 McMurtrie having been unable to give his promised paper upon 

 the " Geogi-aphical Position of the Carboniferous Formation in 

 Somersetshire," Mr. Stephen Mitchell kindly undertook to supply 

 his place with "Notes on Early Geologists connected with the 

 Neighbourhood of Bath." (VideTp. 303.) 

 Excursions. 



The first excursion, which had been fixed for May 9 th to 

 Milborne Port was postponed owing to the inconvenient arrange- 

 ment of the trains, and one to Midford Castle and Wellow Tumulus 

 substituted on May 23rd at the kind invitation of Mr. Buxton 

 Whalley, who met the Club in the park, and conducted the 

 members through the grounds to the chapel attached to the Castle, 

 where they spent some time in examining the reredos, which contains 

 a variety of sculptured subjects — Scriptural and legendary. The 

 castle was built by Mr. Disney Roebuck, about 1787, and is a 

 triangular building, with towers at the angles. After examining 

 the paintings and other curiosities of the mansion, they were 

 courteously entertained at luncheon, before starting for Wellow, 

 where they arrived in the afternoon, and visited the church under 

 the guidance of the vicar. This church, which is one of the most 

 interesting in the county of Somerset, and contains probably more 

 original work than any other, the roof and seating being original, 

 and only repaired and repolished when the church was restored in 

 1845, occupied their attention for a considerable time. It was 



G 



