91 



Phanerogamous Plants and Ferns then ascertained to he natives of Ire- 

 land. This catalogue contained the results of twenty years' observations 

 during numerous excursions to almost every part of the island. It was 

 followed, in 1836, by the ''Flora Hibernica," the work on which Dr. 

 M'Kay's fame as a botanist will principally rest. In recognition of this 

 work, and of the services rendered by him to Irish botany and horticul- 

 ture, the University conferred on him the honorary degree of LL. D. 

 His name is associated with those of two Irish plants, the JE/rica Mackay i 

 (Hook), and the Fucus MacTcayi (Turn.), and a genus of Acanthacese 

 (Mackaya) has been dedicated to him. 



3. Dr. John O'Donovan had acquired a European reputation by his 

 profound knowledge of the Celtic language and historical monuments of 

 Ireland. He was the author of the only scientific and really valuable 

 work on Irish grammar, which had been produced before the ''Gram- 

 matica Celtica" of Zeuss. He edited for the Irish Archaeological and 

 Celtic Societies several ancient documents, preserved among the MSS. 

 of this Academy, of Trinity College, Dublin, and of the Burgundian 

 Library at Brussels. His greatest work was the edition, with a trans- 

 lation, and an immense body of illustrative annotations, of the ''Annals 

 of the Four Masters." This has been pronounced by competent autho- 

 rities to be the most important contribution which has yet been made to 

 the early history of Ireland. During the last years of his life Dr. O'Do- 

 novan was occupied, in conjunction with Mr. Eugene Curry, in prepar- 

 ing for the press, under the superintendence of a Royal Commission, the 

 ancient legal institutes of Ireland, known as the Brehon Laws. The 

 Toss sustained by Celtic literature in the death of this distinguished 

 scholar may justly be described as irreparable. The University of Dublin 

 had recognised his eminent merit by conferring on him an honorary 

 degree of Doctor of Laws, and the Eoyal Academj^ of Berlin elected 

 him one of its Honorary Members; the Hoyal Irish Academy, in 1848, 

 awarded him a Cunningham Gold Medal. 



4. The Yenerable Arthur B. Eowan, Archdeacon of Ardfert, was 

 author of a volume entitled "Lake Lore; or, an Antiquarian Guide to 

 some of the Ruins and Recollections of Killarney" (1853) ; " Vita Beati 

 Franconis," being an edition, with an English version, of a curious me- 

 trical biography in mediaeval Latin (1858) ; "Brief Memorials of the 

 Case and Conduct of Trinity College, 1686-1688" (1858); a collection 

 of poems, published under the title of " Spare Minutes of a Minister ;" 

 a tract on the Old Countess of Desmond, and other writings. He con- 

 tributed to our Proceedings a paper " On an Ogham Monument found 

 on the site of the first Battle recorded as having been foifght by the 

 Milesians in Ireland." 



Sixteen Members have been elected during the past year, viz. : — 



1. G. W. Abraham, Esq, 5. P. Fitzgerald, Esq. 



2. Hon. Judge Berwick. 6. Alfred Hudson, M.D. 



3. Rev. W. S. Burnside, D. D. 7 Richard Hartley, Esq. 



4. Rev. R. G. Gather. 8. John Hatchell, Esq, 



