78 
The Irish Naturalist. 
March., 
lobule was exhibited showing the longitudinal fold, the two decurrent 
wings, and the slit at the only entrance to the interior of the lobule. 
Specimens of the plant were shown collected in Co. Wicklow. 
Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed puparia of the Tsetse-fly Glossina 
palpalis (which carries the Trypanosoma of sleeping-sickness) from 
Uganda, East Central Africa. The female of this species gives birth to 
a mature larva which pupates among dense vegetation near the lake 
or river banks. Though the flies are now not scarce in museums the 
puparia have been collected only by the few entomologists who have 
studied the problems presented by tropical diseases in Africa. 
Sir F. W. Moore exhibited Lemna arrhiza, the most minute of all 
Phanerogams. Each little plant consists of a tiny globular mass of 
tissue, sometimes rather flattened, smaller than a grain of No. 8 shot. 
It is found floating on the surface of the water in small ponds, and is 
very local. In winter many of these tiny plants sink to the bottom, 
and rise again when they commence to increase by budding. Flowers 
had not been seen on any of the plants cultivated by the exhibitor. The 
species is found in the south of England, but is unknown in Ireland. 
W. F. GuNN showed a slide of the diatom Licmophora flahellata (Sm.) 
using the dark ground method of illumination in which the central rays 
of the cone of light are stopped out and the lateral rays converge on 
the object. Licmophora flabellata is one of the two known British species. 
The frustules are wedge shaped and produced on the tips of a branched 
stipes or stem, which are expanded into a curved disc-like shape. As 
the frustules remain after division, attached to the ends of the branches, 
they spread out laterally and form a beautiful and regular fan. According 
to the authors of the Micrographic Dictionary " the development of the 
stipes to which the frustules of many genera are attached is at present 
altogether a mystery." 
BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
January 20. — R. J. Welch in the chair. R. H. Whitehouse, M.Sc, 
read the paper with which he had opened a discussion at the British 
Association Conference of Delegates held at Birmingham last summer. 
First giving a general account of what took place at the Conference which 
he had attended as representative of the Club, the lecturer then read the 
paper he had delivered on " The Best Means of Preventing the Extinction 
of Local Species." He said the reformer would experience great difficulty 
in devising any practicable scheme to reduce the destruction of animals 
and plants wrought by thoughtless members of the community. Dis- 
cussion of the best means to be adopted would be the more profitable if 
they placed themselves in the position of people affected by any measures. 
Unfortunately some people were inclined to regard any prohibiting measure 
as an interference with their personal liberty, and reformers must take 
this into consideration. Destruction of animals and plants sometimes 
occurred over which they had no control ; the construction of public 
works, like reservoirs, often affected a whole area. Drainage schemes, 
