• 22 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



years, are full of observations bearing on the Natural History 

 of the North of Ireland, and are in themselves a valuable body of 

 scientific record. But its two volumes of " Appendices " possess 

 a higher scientific importance. In these is published the more 

 technical work of the members, covering many branches of 

 Geology, Botany, Zoology, and Archaeology. It was to Geology 

 that the Club first devoted itself, and in the " Appendices " 

 geological studies have always occupied a prominent place. As 

 early as 1870, Ralph Tate led the way with his " List of the Irish 

 Liassic Fossils." Swanston and Lapworth have correlated the 

 Silurian rocks of County Down. Joseph Wright began early his 

 researches on fossil Microzoa, which he extended from those of 

 the Chalk and Lias to those of the Glacial and post-Glacial Beds. 

 S. A. Stewart investigated the Mollusca of both the Boulder-Clays 

 and the richly fossiliferous newer deposits which occupy many of 

 our bays and estuaries. More recently much attention has been 

 paid to the erratic blocks of our district, and with this work the 

 name of Madame Christen will be always associated. 



In Botany also good service has been done. Shortly after 

 the Club was founded S. A. Stewart began to collect materials for 

 a local flora ; and, though many helped him, the work of exploring 

 three counties fell mainly on himself. His " Flora of the North- 

 east of Ireland," published by the Club in 1888, takes a high 

 place among books of the kind. It includes not only the 

 Flowering Plants, but also the Mosses and Hepatics. A " Sup- 

 plement," published seven years later, supplies much additional 

 information relative to the local distribution of species. The 

 Fungi of the district have engaged the attention of our President, 

 who has enriched the " Appendices " with a valuable list. 



In Zoology the publications of the Club do not embrace so 

 wide a range. This may have been the result of the great 

 attention devoted to the local fauna during the decade which 

 preceded the Club's formation. The work of William Thompson, 

 Robert Patterson, A. H. Haliday, G. C. Hyndman, and others 



