104 [Proc. 13. N.F.C., 



paper traced the history of the Union from its foundation in 

 1895 to the present day. It described the Conferences which 

 have been held every three years (1895, Galway; 1898, Ken- 

 mare; 1901, Dublin), and the successful attempts which have 

 been ijiade to bring all the Field Clubs of Ireland into closer 

 touch with each other. A most important part of the work of 

 the Union has been arranging for an exchange of lecturers 

 between the different clubs, no less than thirty-one lectures 

 having been delivered under the auspices of the Union. Other 

 matters dealt with finance and railway facilities, and the 

 paper conveyed an excellent idea of the useful work carried on 

 by the Irish Field Club Union. The paper, which was pre- 

 pared by the Hon. Secretary of the Union, has since been 

 published in full in the " Irish Naturalist.' Mr. John Hamil- 

 ton and the President spoke to this paper. 



The next paper was one on " Recent Progress in Irish 

 Botany," by Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger, M.R.I. A,, a former Secre- 

 tary of the Club. Mr. Praeger said that in reviewing the 

 present state of Irish botany he referred, as was proper in a 

 club devoted to studies in the field, especially to systematic 

 and to geographical botany. Steady and satisfactory pro- 

 gress has recently been made with regard to various groups of 

 Irish plants, and, while we should take a proper interest and 

 pride in this advance of knowledge, it should not be allowed 

 to blind us to the fact that for a long time back other groups 

 of plants have been badly neglected. To take the great plant 

 groups in order, it should be noted that little is being done in 

 Ireland among the algce, either marine or freshwater. The 

 energies of our few workers at marine algcE have recently been 

 concentrated in other directions, and a fine field remains open 

 for the student. It is to be hoped that in connection with 

 the work of the proposed Belfast Biological Station the sea- 

 weeds will not be lost sight of. The freshwater alga are even 

 more deserted at present, but a peculiarly bright spot in the 

 otherwise dark landscape is furnished by the recent excellent 

 work of Mr. William West, of Bradford, upon the alga flora 

 of Lough Neagh and Donegal, the results of which have now 



