38 [PJ'oc. b. n. f. c, 



would compare very favourably with what has been done by 

 very much older societies. In the botanical department we are 

 tolerably strong, and good results have been accomplished. For 

 example, Tate's "Flora Belfastiensis," published in 1863, em- 

 bracing an area of only fifteen miles from Belfast, recorded 590 

 species of plants, exclusive of erroneous references. Dr. Dickie, 

 in his " Flora of Ulster," records 700 species from Ulster. In 

 1866 the "Cybele Hibernica," to which the members of our 

 Field Club contributed, records 800 species from Antrim, Derry, 

 and Down. Our "Guide to Belfast," published in 1874, gives 

 the only reliable list yet published for Antrim and Down, from 

 which it records 736 authentic species, all of which can be 

 vouched by specimens. A similar advance has been made in 

 our knowledge of cryptogams. The "Flora Hibernica" in 

 1836 Only recorded for all Ireland 229 mosses, and the late Dr. 

 Moore, in his report to the Royal Irish Academy, in 1872, 

 increased the number to 370. Only two years later our Club 

 published a list of mosses of the North-East of Ireland, record- 

 ing 238 species, a large number of which were new to the North 

 of Ireland, and 9 of the species were new to the moss flora of 

 Ireland. We are not, therefore, surprised that Mr. Stewart, 

 who has been chiefly instrumental in obtaining these results, 

 has received a grant from the Royal Irish Academy to report 

 on the botany of the western portion of Fermanagh. I may 

 also refer to the work done by Mr. Wright in his investigation 

 of the Rhizopoda and other lowly forms. Ten years ago only 

 three Fossil Foraminifera had been recorded from Ireland — one 

 from the Greensand, one from Lias, and one Permian. We find 

 the Club now records 106 from chalk, 27 lias, and 9 from the 

 mountain limestone ; and our Report now going to press records 

 107 from the Post-tertiary beds, or a total of 249, against the 

 three of ten years ago. Five years ago only 65 species of 

 recent Foraminifera were recorded from Ireland, chiefly col- 

 lected by Dr. Alcock, from shore gatherings at Dog's Bay, 

 Connemara ; now our Club records 119 species, from the 

 North of Ireland only. In addition to the list of sponge 



