I9I5. 



Irish Societies. 



153 



recorded. Before leaving Aghaderg a short business meeting was held, 

 at which seven new members were elected. Afterwards the party drove 

 to Banbridge, returning by 5.45 train to Belfast. 



June 19. — Gawley's Gate and Selshan. — Forty -two members, 

 under the conductorship of W, J. C. Tomlinson, visited Gawley's Gate 

 and Selshan. The party travelled by rail to Lurgan, and then on cars 

 to their destination, situated on the east shore of Lough Neagh, and six 

 miles north of Lurgan. The lake shore and adjoining marshes and bogs 

 at Selshan were more easily accessible than usual owing to the long con- 

 tinued drought of the preceding weeks. The main interests of the ex- 

 cursion were botanical, as the district is a notable one on account of the 

 number of plants very rare locally which are recorded therefrom. A 

 number of these, however, had not been seen for over half a century, 

 and some were believed to be extinct, through drainage and other causes. 

 Two of these supposed extinct species were found in considerable pro- 

 fusion.i One of them, Rhamnus catharticus, was found in quantity, and 

 in full flower, in the shrubby wood on the lough shore at The Hogg, on the 

 west side of Selshan harbour. The other, Lathyrus palustris, occurred 

 plentifully in two places in the marhsy meadows on the shore, just west of 

 Selshan bridge. Two Carices, C. elongata and C. filiformis^ recorded by 

 Dr. Moore from this locality were searched for without avail. C. stricta, 

 however, occurred in large tussocks, and C. Goodenowii in plenty. The 

 former has not been noted from Selshan before. C. canescens was found 

 in an adjacent bog, growing in proximity to Osmunda regalis. In addition 

 to these, the more uncommon plants noted were : — Thalictrum flavum, 

 Viola canina, Apium inundatum, Cicuta virosuy Chaerophyllum temulum, 

 Oenanthe fistulosa, Lysimachia Nummularia, Veronica scutellata and Scirpus 

 maritimus. The Adder's -tongue fern was got on the Derrymore side 

 of the bay, and Aspidium aculeatum on the Hogg Park side. Galium 

 erectum was noted on the homeward journey on the roadside bank near 

 Kilmore House, an additional Co. Down record. Galium boreale, recorded 

 from the lake shore at Gawley's Gate, was not seen. The same remark 

 applies to Lobelia Dorttnanna, and some other aquatic rarities. 



Forty species of birds were observed during the day. The most 

 interesting ornithological observation consisted in the recognition of a 

 Turnstone (it is probable there were three or four of them) on the boulder 

 clad shore, just north of Hogg Park Point. This bird is usually regarded 

 in this country as a winter visitant, but has been noted by the sea coast in 

 small numbers occasionally throughout the summer, and had been ob- 

 served at Lough Neagh in the month of May, 1902. The dry weather 

 conditions caused the collection of invertebrates to be rather meagre. 



Four species of Terrestrial Isopods were noted, but these included one 



PoYcellio pictus — which is not regarded as common. The Spiders, Harvest 

 men, Myriopods, &c., when worked out may possibly yield some interesting 

 discoveries. 



1 It is worthy of note here that at Portmore, a fortnight later, Messrs. 

 Tomlinson and Foster found Sium latifoliiim, another of the missing 

 Lough Neagh plants. — Eds. 



