198 



[Proc. B.N.F.C, 



great botanist, has said — " It is not too much to say that each of 

 Darwin's botanical investigations, taken on its merits, would alone 

 have made the reputation of any ordinary botanist." The secondary 

 object of some of these books is to bring into focus the details of 

 facts and forces that made for the support of his general theory 

 regarding the origin of species. After analysing briefly the purport 

 of each of Darwin's botanical works, the speaker went on to tell 

 of the methods of work pursued by the great naturalist, his con- 

 stant and chronic ill-health, his sympathetic nature, and other per- 

 sonal traits of character. He concluded by expressing the belief 

 that, judged by all the standards by which the work of scientists 

 and philosophers is appraised by their successors, the name of 

 Charles Darwin would go down for all time in the annals of 

 posterity as that of one who beneficially revolutionised the thought 

 of his time, and was indeed a prince among the select band of the 

 world's greatest naturalists. 



After the reading of the paper a very interesting discussion 

 ensued, in which the Chairman, Miss Blackwood, and Messrs. 

 J. Maxwell and H. L. Orr took part. 



"THE DAWN OF HISTORY IN IRELAND." 



The fourth meeting of the Winter Session was held in the 

 Museum, on the 16th February, when Miss Margaret Dobbs read 

 a paper on ''The Dawn of History in Ireland" — Mr. W. J. 

 Fennell, F.R.I. B. A., in the chair. 



Miss Dobbs, in the course of an able paper, said civilisation 

 was now admitted to be far more ancient than was generally 

 supposed, science with its unwritten records throwing it back to 

 12,000 B.C., and their preconceived ideas of the early inhabitants 

 of Europe must be largely modified. Ancient remains of spinning, 

 weaving, domestic animals, pottery, and bronze castings pointed 

 to a considerable degree of civilisation at an extremely early 

 period, having a regular ordered social life, a settled religion, and 





