6 



During the past year many of the Summer excursions or 

 field meetings were well attended, and on every occasion they 

 were thoroughly enjoyed by the members and friends who 

 joined them. 



In arranging those excursions the Committee have been 

 careful to select places in the neighbourhood of Belfast of special 

 interest, either to the Geologist, Botanist, or Archaeologist, or 

 embracing as many objects of interest in those departments as 

 possible, and the managers of the railways afford every facility 

 for reaching those places without fatigue, and at a moderate cost. 



Hitherto the members and friends who attend the field 

 meetings, although having no particular scientific object in view, 

 found it an advantage to be accompanied by their fellow-mem- 

 bers acquainted with all that was interesting in their respective 

 localities, and willing to afford every information, and gratify 

 every inquiry, thereby adding considerably to the pleasure 

 always excited during a country ramble. It is the desire of the 

 Committee that a larger number, not only of the members, but 

 of the friends of the Club, should avail themselves of the privi- 

 leges thus provided. 



During the year now brought to a close the following excur- 

 sions were made in the 



SUMMER SESSION. 



The First Excursion for the year was made by the members of 

 the Society, on Saturday, the 2nd June, to Whitehead. In 

 the morning the weather was very unpromising, and, doubt- 

 less, prevented many from joining the excursionists. The 

 members started by the two o'clock train, and as they proceeded 

 on their journey the clearness of the atmosphere increased 

 with the distance from Belfast, and the evening turned out to 

 be as bright and favorable as could possibly be desired, so 

 much so, that the laugh was turned against those of the party 

 who came prepared with umbrellas and great-coats. As pre- 

 viously arranged, the members of the Club left the train at 

 Kilroot and proceeded on foot to Whitehead. Soon after leav- 

 ing the station, attention was directed to the gravel ballast 

 along the railway, and several very good specimens of flint 



