[Proc. 



Winter Session. 



Note. — The Authors of the various Papers of which abstracts 

 are given, are alone responsible for the views expressed in them. 



ANNUAL CONVERSAZIONE. 

 The forty-ninth Winter Session was inaugurated by a Con- 

 versazione, held in the Assembly Buildings on Friday evening, 

 27th October, about 250 members and friends being present. In 

 the Zoological Section the special exhibit lent by the Belfast 

 Municipal Museum attracted much attention. It included nine 

 cases of rare birds taken in Ireland, including Bonaparte's Gull, 

 Sabine's Gull, and Bonaparte's Sandpiper ; also a series of cases 

 of injurious Insects mounted to show their life histories. Mr. 

 George Donaldson showed a case of Indian Butterflies, and Mr. 

 Nevin H. Foster had a most interesting exhibit of Birds' Eggs, 

 showing variation among eggs of the same species. Mr. John 

 Hamilton exhibited living specimens of the larva of the Fox Moth. 

 Mr. W. F. M'Kinney brought some curious Insects showing 

 protective mimicry, from Brazil, and also a varied display of 

 Australian and Spanish Shells. Mr. A. W. Stelfox exhibited 

 living specimens of the larger British Land-Shells. Mr. R. ). 

 Welch's exhibit of the Land and Fresh-water Mollusca from the 

 South-East of England was a series showing mainly species which 

 do not occur in Ireland, and included two species, Planorbis 

 vorticulus and Valvata macrostoma, only recently added to the 

 British list. Mr. J. A. S. Stendall showed, by the aid of the 

 Microscope, the circulation of the blood in the foot of the Common 

 Frog, and Mr. H. Lamont Orr brought a Song-Thrush's nest with 

 unusual lining, and a Wasp's nest in a flower-pot. Mr. Whitehouse 



