52 The Irish Naturalist^ March, 1916. 
DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
December 14. — The second business meeting was held in the Royal 
Irish Academy House, the President in the Chair. Professor G. A. J. 
Cole, F.G.S., lectured on " Nature and Man in the Balkan Peninsula." 
The general outHnes of the geology of the Balkan area were first dealt with, 
and the ancient land -masses, the younger folded mountains and the 
foundered areas described. The arid limestone of the Karst and its 
influence on the vegetation was then discussed. The present tortuous 
courses of the rivers were noticed and the geological theories advanced to 
explain them were examined. The latter part of the lecture was concerned 
with the position of Constantinople in past and present time. A large 
number of maps and lantern -slides were used to illustrate the different 
problems. The lecture was discussed by the President and Professor 
Henry, who gave an interesting account of the vegetation of the Balkan 
area. Mr. Walter Clarke was elected a member of the Club. 
January 18. — Annual meeting. Professor G. H. Carpenter in the 
Chair, In the absence of the Hon. Secretary, J. de W. Hinch submitted 
the Annual Report, which was passed. The Committee and Officers 
for 1 916 were elected : — President, Prof. Carpenter ; Vice-President, 
Prof. Cole ; Secretary, Mrs. Long ; Treasurer, C. J. Bateman. An 
interesting discussion on the Club's work and prospects for the New 
Year then took place. 
NOTES. 
ZOOLOGY. 
Frogs Spawning in January. 
As a result of the high temperature during the whole of January, I 
found a small pool close to the Rocky Valley road (Co. Wicklow), covered 
with frogs' spawn on the 30th January. Some of the spawn might have 
been there for a week. The frogs had invaded the pool in such numbers 
that they were unable to find hiding places when I advanced to the edge 
of the shallow pool. I could not hear the croaking of the animals until 
I came within 20 yards of the spot and failed to distinguish the roar 
produced by a large number of frogs which was compared by the late R. 
M. Barrington to the passing of a distant railway train over Bray Bridge. 
During a mild January in 1904, much like the present one, Mr. Moffat 
first observed the spawning of frogs at Ballyhyland (Wexford), on the 
25th January {Irish Nat., vol. XIII., p. 86), and no doubt his locality 
was less exposed than the one I visited. 
R. F. SCHARFF. 
Knockranny, Bray. 
