1891-92-] 4°9 



The fifth meeting of the Winter Session was held on Tuesday 

 evening, February 1 6th, the President in the chair, when four 

 communications were brought forward. 



The first paper was by the Rev. C. H. Waddell, M.A., on the 

 subject of the late Mr. John Templeton, of Belfast, and his 

 ornithological researches. The reader spoke of Mr. Templeton's 

 work as a naturalist, and said that his name did not occupy the 

 position to which it was entitled as that of one of the great 

 leaders of the natural history of our country. Perhaps this was 

 to be accounted for by the fact that he did not publish any 

 work of importance. He had intended to write a book on the 

 natural history of Ireland, but the plan was never carried out, 

 and thus his researches had gone to enrich the works of others. 

 A list of the Vertebrata was published by his son after his 

 death, and his lists of the local flora have been consulted by 

 succeeding botanists. Mr. Waddell stated that he had been 

 unable to obtain any information about Mr. Templeton's journal 

 of observations on natural history extending from 1805 to 1825, 

 which is often referred to by him. If this were still extant, it 

 would no doubt be of great value and interest ; he was such a keen 

 observer, and had such an extended knowledge of every branch 

 of the fauna and flora of the district. A passage was quoted 

 from Mackay's Flora Hibernica, in which the author thus spoke 

 of Templeton : — " I believe that thirty years ago his acquire- 

 ments in the natural history of organised beings rivalled that of 

 any individual in Europe. These were by no means limited to 

 diagnostic marks, but extended to all the laws and modifications 

 of the living force." Mr. Templeton was the father of natural 

 history in the North of Ireland, and led the way in which others 

 soon followed. The reader then referred to a copy of Montagu's 

 Ornithological Dictionary, now in his possession, which had 

 belonged to Mr. Templeton, and contained pencil notes on the 

 margins in his handwriting, a selection from which was read. 

 In one of these he laments the destruction of rare visitants to 

 our shores which might possibly be encouraged to stay and 

 breed in the country, and says : — " But a few years ago, an 



