The Irish Naturalist. 
February. 
DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 
November 12. — The Club met at Leinster House, J. H. Woodworth 
(President) in the chair. 
T. R. Hewitt showed the recently discovered first-stage larva of the 
large Ox Warble-Fly [Hypodernia bovis), newly hatched from the egg. 
The larva, less than imm. in length resembles an ordinary muscoid maggot 
in form, the tapering head region being armed with powerful mouth - 
hooks and a sharp central spine directed forwards. The body-segments 
have rows of numerous strong spines forming a relatively formidable 
armature, especially prominent at the broad hinder end. 
R. Southern exhibited specimens of the fresh-water Leech, Heniiclep- 
sis marginata (O. F. Miiller), recently added to the Irish fauna, and recorded 
amongst the Leeches found in connection with the Survey of Clare Island. 
Three specimens were found in Garranbaun Lough, a small lake near 
Ballynakill Harbour, by Mr. G. P. Farran. The species seems to be 
rare in the British Isles, though it is widely distributed in Europe. It 
is characterised by the possession of two pairs of eyes and seven longitu- 
dinal rows of yellow spots on the dorsum. 
J. N. Halbert exhibited the nymph stage of an Oribatid mite, Tcgeocra- 
nus latus, to illustrate the great difference which exists between the adult 
and young forms. The nymph of this species is very curious on account 
of the great forked chitinous processes, and the serrate hairs, with which 
the body is ornamented. It was found in company with the fully- 
developed mite under the bark of decayed fir trees on Achill Island. 
W. F. GuNN exhibited seeds of the flowering shrub, Buddhia variabilis, 
side by side with the fresh -water Alga, Hydrodictyon utvictilatum (the 
water net), in order to draw attention to the resemblance between them. 
Both objects ma}^ be described as cylindrical nets tapering towards the 
ends, with a solid portion enclosed in the centre. The one, of course, 
has no relation whatever to the other, but the close superficial resemb- 
lance of two objects so utterly unrelated is very striking. 
December 10. — The Club met at Leinster House, the President 
(J. H. Woodworth) in the Chair. 
Dr. G. H. Pethybridge exhibited seeds of Celery with the pycnidia 
of the Celery leaf -spot fungus Septoria petroselini var. apii on them. The 
celery leaf -spot disease M^as first recorded in Ireland by him in 1906, 
and during recent years it has spread to a great extent through the 
country, mainly, it is believed, owing to the use of affected seed. A 
recent examination of samples of celery seed on sale in Ireland showed 
that over 78 per cent, of them carried the disease. He also showed the 
same fungus on the leaves of the Wild Celery, on which it has not been 
found previously in the British Islands. The Celery plants in question 
were growing by the sea in the extreme west of Co. Galway, some eight 
or ten miles from Clifden. There was every appearance of the plant 
being native in this spot, although the Wild Celery has not apparently 
been previously recorded for West Galway. It seems highly improb- 
able that the fungus could have spread to wild plants from cultivated 
ones. 
