THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 361 



The chief contributors during that period were Davy 

 on chemical subjects ; Scouler, on raised beaches, on 

 the dolomites, on lignites and the silicified woods of 

 Lough Neagh ; Grubb on improvements in optical 

 instruments ; Kane on physical subjects. The only 

 papers printed in extenso were not on scientific subjects, 

 such as Mr. Clibborn's on Banking, and Mr. Coulter's 

 reply to it. The evening meetings continued to be held, 

 but they gradually became less scientific in character. 

 In 1843, by-laws were adopted which enabled persons 

 to join a section of the Society, with restricted privileges; 

 and meetings called " Sectional Evening Meetings " 

 were held. The manuscript minutes of those meetings, 

 which are very full and contain a good deal of informa- 

 tion of historical interest, have fortunately been pre- 

 served. Some of the papers were printed in extenso 

 and appear as appendices in the Society's Proceedings. 

 For example, Mr Antisell's "Analysis of the important 

 soils of Ireland " — the earliest record of work of this 

 kind in the country — appears in vol. lxxx. (1843-4) ; 

 Mr. McCalla's paper on Irish algae appears in vol. 

 lxxxii. (1845-6). In the same volume will be found 

 a paper by Mr. William K. Sullivan, in which the 

 "Wasteful management of manure heaps" is scientifi- 

 cally treated. In vol. lxxxiii. (1846-7) the following 

 papers appear : — " The effects of meteorological con- 

 ditions on potato disease," by Edward J. Cooper ; " The 

 Irish fisheries as an industrial resource," by J. C. 

 Deane ; " Irish flora and fauna," by Mr. McCalla. In 

 the same volume are printed two scientific papers 

 which were read at agricultural evening meetings, viz. 

 Dr. John Aldridge " On the comparative nutritive 

 and pecuniary values of various kinds of cooked food," 

 and Sir Robert Kane " On the composition and 

 characters of certain soils and waters belonging to the 



