8o 
The Irish Naturalist. 
March, 19 14. 
January 28. — Geological Section. — Dr. Dwerryhouse, F.G.S. 
lectured on " The Coal Reserves of the World." Some interesting figures 
based on the report of the International Geological Congress in Canada, 
were placed before the meeting, and proved reassuring to those who went 
to the meeting prepared to hear the worst. In the course of his remarks 
the lecturer pointed out that coal is by no means confined to the Coal- 
measures, the highest division of the Carboniferous system, in which it 
occurs almost exclusively in Great Britain, but is found on all geological 
horizons from the Devonian to the Tertiary systems. The discovery quite 
recently of a 4 foot seam of brown coal some eighteen feet from the surface 
in the Tertiary near Portrush was alluded to. A discussion followed the 
lecture, in which the chairman (Robert Welch), W. A. Green, Miss M. K. 
Andrews, and others took part. 
February 4. — Archaeological Section. — A lecture on Irish Bells 
was delivered by F. J. Bigger. Commencing his lecture by recounting 
some of the legends connected with Irish bells, Mr. Bigger followed with 
the quaint old story of the lost bells of Limerick arid the buried bells of 
several old churches. The Columbian and Patrician cycles were also 
dealt with, and, among many other items the ''origin and use of ancient 
round towers for bell ringing. 
DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
January 20. — The Annual General Meeting was held in the Royal 
Irish Academy House, the Vice-President, N. Colgan, M.R.I. A., in the 
Chair. The annual report, read by the Hon. Secretary, G. R. Humphreys, 
showed a membership of 81— a decrease of 15 — and gave in other respects 
a good account of the year's work. Five excursions and six evening 
meetings had been held and reported in the Irish Naturalist. The Hon. 
Treasurer's statement showed a small balance. Officers for the year were 
elected as follows : — President, N. Colgan, M.R.I.A. ; Vice-President, 
Professor G. H. Carpenter, B.Sc. ; Hon. Treasurer, C. J. Bateman; 
Hon. Sec, C. B. Moffat. A special vote of thanks was passed to H. G. 
Cuthbert on his retirement from the office of Hon. Treasurer, held by him 
for the long period of 17 years. 
R. Ll. Praeger gave an address on the " Distribution of some rare Irish 
plants." The plants dealt with were chiefly those of the Lusitanian and 
American groups, and the argument for their antiquity as members of the 
Irish flora was shown to be strongly based on a discontinuous distribution 
in Ireland as well as elsewhere. Specimens of the plants discussed were 
handed round and examined with much interest, and attention was called 
to the striking difference between the Irish form of " Fox's Cabbage " 
{Saxifraga umbrosa) and the South Furopean form grown in gardens as 
" London Pride." A discussion followed in which the Chairman, C. B. 
Moffat, and Professor Carpenter tookjplace. Some Australian plants 
were afterwards exhibited by Mrs. Long. 
