1916-17.) 



277 



About three hours were now allotted to members to pursue 

 their varied studies, and soon the various specialists were busy. 

 The district, being on the Carboniferous formation, proved of 

 interest to the geologists, some of whom visited a neighbouring 

 quarry, where they were successful in obtaining characteristic 

 fossils. These included the Brachiopod Rhynchonella, Crinoid 

 stems, &c. Others hurried away for some distance to an outcrop 

 of the Permian beds (rare in Ireland), which are recorded on the 

 Geological Survey map. Their report when published will doubt- 

 less prove of interest and value. All around were observed 

 numerous "erratics," giving testimony to the carrying powers of 

 ice during the long-past Glacial Epoch. The botanists noticed 

 the characteristic vigour and profusion of many of the calcicole 

 plants, and, although not finding anything hitherto unrecorded 

 from the county, were pleased to note several of our rarer plants. 

 Among these may be mentioned Chelidonium ma/us, Cardamine 

 amara, Geranium Phceum, Viburnum Opulus, Geum rivale, Sisym- 

 brium officinale, Arenaria Irinervia, Linaria Cymbaiaria and 

 Aspidium aculeatum. Several species of Myxomycetes or Mycetozoa 

 were obtained and carefully boxed for identification. As no collect- 

 ing had previously been done in this group in County Tyrone 

 all these constitute new county records {vide " Irish Naturalist," 

 April, 191 7). The ornithologists handed in a list of thirty-two 

 species of birds seen during the day. Naturally little was seen of 

 the wild mammalian fauna, but it was interesting to learn that in 

 this neighbourhood a few days previously a badger's " earth " had 

 been found at a short distance from a farmyard where some nights 

 before a raid by some animal on the poultry yard had resulted in 

 the destruction of 98 chickens. There is no proof that the badger 

 was the delinquent, but such may have been the case, though a 

 fox was seen in the same locality not so long ago. Murray's Wood 

 and the Canal at Coalisland proved the best collecting grounds 

 for the snail men. At the former spot the best finds were 

 Acanihinula aculeata, Bygromiajusca, Pupa anglica and Acicula 



