284 [Proc. B.N.r.C, 



Monday morning saw the break-up of the party, and at 

 10-5 the Belfast and Dublin members were being conveyed 

 from Sligo amid the hearty cheers of the Limerick members, 

 who were to start by a later train. By some misunderstand- 

 ing the through carriages had not been retained in Sligo, 

 and this caused some trouble at Enniskillen; but the cour- 

 teous stationmaster there promptly supplied carriages, to 

 which the luggage was transferred, while the members, under 

 the escort of Mr. Thomas Plunkett, M.R.I.A., utilised the 

 hour's wait in visiting the Cole Monument, at the base of 

 which Mr. Plunkett had thoughtfully provided refreshments 

 for the party. Enniskillen was left behind at 1-30, and shortly 

 before 5 o'clock the members separated at Belfast station. 



The September number of the Irish Naturalist was en- 

 tirely devoted to this conference and excursion, and in addi- 

 tion to 55 pa,ges of letterpress, the issue was much enhanced by 

 the inclusion of 19 plates. Many valuable observations are 

 recorded, and some notable discoveries rewarded the exertions 

 of the members. The vertehrata report is compiled by 

 Messrs. Robert Patterson and Nevin H, Foster, and princi- 

 pally relates to the seventy species of birds observed. The 

 molluscan fauna is treated by Messrs. Robert Welch and A. 

 W. Stelfox and is an exhaustive report, a most interesting 

 feature of which is the first recorded find in Ireland of a 

 sinistral form of Helix asyersa. The insect reports include 

 many new County records, and one species Xenylla hrevi- 

 cauda, new to the British fauna. Some of the water-mites 

 collected proved also to be new species for the British 

 Islands. 



The botanists of the party found plenty to interest them, 

 and many new stations for plants or confirmation of old 

 stations merited publication; while their lierharia are made 

 richer by the good collections obtained. 



The district proved very interesting to the geologists, 

 Sligo being situated in a typically Carboniferous country, 

 where the limestone graduates upwards into the sandstones 

 and shales of the overlying Millstone Grit and Coal Measures ; 



