i888-8 9 .] 85 



ner in which it was carried through the press by Mr, Stewart, 

 upon whom, under most melancholy circumstances, fell the 

 entire work of editing, is deserving of high praise. 



The volume of Proceedings for the past year, which has 

 been recently issued, is a more than usually important one, the 

 Presidential address, given in full, being a valuable record of 

 the progress of science during the period that has elapsed since 

 the establishment of the Club. 



Besides this address and the usual reports of the excursions 

 and summaries of the papers read, there is a valuable appendix 

 on the Marine Shells of the North of Ireland, by Robert Lloyd 

 Praeger, B.A., B.E., the result of a great amount of patient 

 work and research in bringing together into a connected form 

 all that is published and known of this important branch of 

 local natural history, information which until the present time 

 was scattered in many different publications difficult of access, 

 and often obscured by a multiplicity of synonyms. 



It is with deep regret that your Committee record the loss 

 the Club has sustained during the past year by the death of 

 Launcelot Turtle, Esq., J.P., to whom the Club have for many 

 years been indebted for the valuable meteorological tables and 

 weather notes which enriched your proceedings. Your 

 Committee, anxious to continue the publication of these 

 important tables, ask the aid of observers in this department. 



Your Committee have also to record the loss of one of the 

 past Presidents of the Club, Lieutenant-General Smythe, R.A., 

 F.R.S., M.R.I.A., &c, a gentleman who took a lively interest 

 in the Club's operations, especially in the department of Irish 

 archaeology. The death of Mr. George O'Brien also removed 

 from your ranks one of the earliest members, who for many 

 years assisted by his counsel on the Committee, and otherwise 

 in advancing the Club's interests. 



Your Committee avail themselves of this opportunity of 

 thanking all who have in any way assisted the Club in carrying 

 out its aims during the past year, and they would especially 

 mention the Belfast Water Commissioners and their engineer- 



