336 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



Royal Irish Academy." The motion was seconded by Mr. N. 

 H. Foster, M.B.O.U., and carried by acclamation. Mr. 

 Patterson said that twenty-five members of the Field Club 

 had embraced the opportunity of showing their appreciation 

 of Mr. Welch's many services to the Club, by uniting to 

 present him with a Life Membership Certificate, thus con- 

 stituting him a member of the Royal Irish Academy for life 

 without any expense to himself. The announcement was 

 received with applause, and Mr. Welch was handed his 

 certificate. 



''FORESTS, WILD AND CULTIVATED." 



The President then introduced Mr. Augustine Henry, 

 M.A., F.L.S., L.R.C.P.(Ed.), who read a paper entitled 

 " Forests, Wild and Cultivated." 



The lecturer began by referring to the ways in which the 

 natural forests had been destroyed by human agency, and 

 the difficulty with which when once cut down they regenerated 

 themselves in many regions. In tropical countries rank 

 grasses took possession of the soil, and seedling trees had much 

 in consequence to contend with. In the cold, temperate 

 regions the growth of heather and peat-moss replaced the 

 ancient forests in many places. Most of our peat bogs were 

 simply ruined forests. Of primeval forests in Ireland only a 

 few small woods remained, of which the most remarkable was 

 the arbutus " formation " at Killarney, which was unique, as 

 nowhere else did the arbutus attain the size of and function 

 as a forest tree, rivalling in height and girth the oak, holly, 

 &c., which mixed with it. In France and Mediterranean 

 countries generally the arbutus was only an undershrub, 

 dominated by large trees in the forest. Here and there in 

 Ireland bits of oak forest occurred, which were primitive, and 

 in them peculiar land-shells occurred, which were absent from 

 places where there had ever been any farm cultivation. A 

 view of a beautiful alder wood in Wicklow was shown, which 

 apparently was also primeval — i.e., the trees had never been 

 planted, and those now growing were occupying the swampy 



