Society of British Entomologists. 4007 



that if ever I am permitted to revisit Birterbie Bay, I shall be able to find Bulla hy- 

 datis. This circumstance brings to mind the wonderful perception recorded of some 

 palaeontologist, who, from seeing a fragment of a tooth, was enabled to construct and 

 bring to life, as it were, an animal of gigantic frame, which inhabited the surface of 

 our earth in bygone ages; but this was accomplished in the calm and quiet of the stu- 

 dy. Poor M'Alla made a near approach to this marvellous act of induction, but under 

 very different circumstances — immersed in a mass of mud and slime, and tossed about 

 by the swelling of an angry sea ; however, it is to him alone that the credit of making 

 this interesting addition to the Fauna of Ireland is due. 



" On the last occasion when I had the pleasure of bringing before the notice of 

 the Society some notes on the turnstone, the subject was so intimately associated with 

 the memory of the late William Thompson, that I availed myself of the opportunity 

 of recording the high estimation in which it is held by the lovers of Natural History ; 

 a similar melancholy task now falls to my lot in mentioning the name of William 

 M'Alla, a most distinguished and enthusiastic naturalist, who, with indomitable zeal, 

 unaided by fortune, has achieved a reputation in the science of Natural History sel- 

 dom equalled, certainly never surpassed — the several recent standard works on the 

 various branches connected with that science attest this most amply. I select the fore- 

 going incident from a multitude, to exhibit the wonderful quickness of his perception. 

 I had, with Mr. M'Alla, visited the various collections, both private and public, of na- 

 tive shells in the metropolis and elsewhere, and in all we found specimens of Bulla 

 hydatis ; but never could obtain from the proprietors or collectors the locality from 

 whence procured, in fact, when pressed, the answer given was that the specimens were 

 English. It is true that Mr. Thompson, in his 'Fauna of Ireland,' indicates the point 

 where this mollusk is to be found ; but on asking him for the precise spot, he was 

 unable to point it out, and candidly stated that he had never seen the shell with its 

 animal alive ; at the same time he remarked that it would be a great desideratum to 

 obtain it." 



Mr. Andrews observed that the indefatigable researches of Dr. Farran, and of the 

 late William M'Alla were well known. They had obtained from the west coast, parti- 

 cularly from the bays and inlets of Connemara, a larger number of the Mollusca and 

 Crustacea, many new to the Fauna of the country, than any other naturalists. The 

 beautiful Melobesia Agariciformis owed its discovery to Dr. Farran. He trusted that 

 as the Museum of the Society was in progress of arrangement, some of his discoveries 

 would be contributed by Dr. Farran. 



Mr. Kinahan read a paper "On the Classification and Nomenclature of Ferns." 



Wm. M'Dougall, Esq., of Howth, was nominated as a member. 



Proceedings of the Society of British Entomologists. 



June 7, 1853. — Mr. Harding, President, in the chair. 



It was remarked by several members, that in consequence of the backward state of 

 vegetation, owing to the coldness of the weather, many of our early insects did not ap- 

 pear at all, and others were at least two or three weeks later than usual. 



The President observed that he could corroborate these remarks from his own ex- 

 perience. For example, he took some fine specimens of Semiophora gothica at the 



