1896-97-] 345 



Beetles, butterflies, and moths, snails, spiders, and other 

 interesting forms of life were systematically collected by the 

 members ; but, as most of the rarer species have yet to be more 

 carefully examined, the full list of captures are not here 

 available. Those who would care to know more of the smaller 

 animals are referred to the August number of the Irish 

 Naturalist. After a most enjoyable afternoon's outing, the party 

 gradually proceeded homewards in time for supper at nine. 



Saturday began by breakfast at eight, immediately after 

 which the brakes were again taken, past Lord Farnham's to 

 the first halting-place at Kilmore Cathedral, the place of 

 greatest interest to those of antiquarian tastes. Kilmore has a 

 beauty and a history all its own, and is especially associated 

 with "the most faultless character in all ecclesiastical history" — 

 William Bedell, who was bishop there during the wars of 1641. 

 The present stately building was erected in i860 — " In 

 memoriam Gulielmi, quondam Kilmorensis Episcopi" as the 

 great western doorway records. All remains of the old 

 cathedral have passed away, but the subsequent church is still 

 used as a schoolhouse. In the adjoining demesne Bishop 

 Bedell was permitted to remain during the early part of the 

 crisis, and here he collected around him all the distressed and 

 homeless English, with many of the Irish, administering to one 

 and all the food and clothing that had been left to him. The 

 Irish said he should be the last of the Saxons to leave the 

 country because he was the best of them, but he was not 

 suffered to reside in his own home, but was removed a prisoner, 

 with others of his household, to the neighbouring castle in 

 Lough Oughter. Here he suffered many hardships, for " In 

 this pit there was neither door nor window of glass or wood to 

 keep out snow or rain, and the boards of the floors so rotten 

 and broken with rain that it seemed not safe to walk upon 

 them." Here the learned and worthy Bedell — he was the first 

 who translated the Bible into Irish — contracted a cold that 

 ended in his death after he had been exchanged as a prisoner 

 and removed to the residence of one of his clergy, the Rev. 



