1914- 
Irish Societies. 
235 
BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
July ii. — Excursion to Drumahaire. — On this date the annual 
" long excursion" of the above Club commenced, the members, under the 
conductorship of N. H. Foster, starting from Belfast by the 9.30 a.m. train, 
their numbers being augmented en route till they amounted to eighteen 
on arrival at Enniskillen. Here the party were entertained to lunch on 
the Fort Hill by Thomas Plunkett, M.R.LA., an Honorary Member of the 
Club, and afterwards resumed their journey to Drumahaire. On arrival the 
President, R. LI. Praeger, and ISIrs. Praeger were awaiting them, and the 
party were driven to the Abbey Hotel. After tea the cars were remounted, 
and a short drive brought the party to the landing stage on the River 
Bonnet, where a motor boat was waiting, and in a short time the members 
were speeding down Lough Gill and viewing the entrancing scenery of the 
eastern end of this lake. The afternoon was spent cruising in Lough Gill, 
a short halt being made to enable the members to collect on Goat Island, 
where that rare fern Polypodium semilaceriim was found. Many birds were 
observed on the lake, but interest chiefly centred in the broods of Teal 
and Red -breasted Mergansers which, in company with their parents, were 
seen at close quarters. On reaching the landing-stage the cars were again 
mounted and the party returned to the hotel for dinner at eight o'clock. 
No programme was fixed for Sunday, and the members were free to 
spend the day in whatever way best agreed with their inclinations. Some 
went to church or strolled about the village and its environs, while most 
of them paid a visit to the extensive ruins of Creevelea Abbey (close to the 
hotel), a Franciscan monument in a good state of preservation. 
Some of the party paid a visit to the far-famed Glencar, with its waterfall 
and Swiss Valley, and returned delighted with their long day's outing. 
At 9.30 on Monday morning the party left the hotel in cars bound for 
the southern shore of Lough Gill. On reaching the head of Slish Gap, an 
eroded valley due to the weathering down of a pre -Carboniferous dyke of 
soft serpentine in the metamorphic rocks, a halt was called, and, after a 
half -hour devoted to collecting, the President briefly described the geo- 
logical features of the district. Mr. Praeger then proceeded to demonstrate 
the differences in the fauna and flora easily recognisable in the plants 
growing in the metamorphic area as contrasted with that in the neigh - 
bouring calcareous strata. He also exhibited a number of the most in- 
teresting plants collected within a few yards' distance, these including 
the Bog -asphodel, the iSIountain Everlasting, nine species of orchids, and 
that rather local fern, the ]Moonwort. Again mounting the cars, the 
members drove down Slish Gap to the shore of Lough Gill, on the way 
observing the profusion of bloom on many plants such as the Valerian, 
Convolvulus, Rosa arvensis, Mimulus, and the Purple Loosestrife, while 
several fine clumps of the Royal Fern were noted. On reaching the shore 
of the lake, the members had an hour's interval for collecting till lunch 
was served, after which some of the party walked to Doonee Rock. Others 
climbed the hill behind Doonee. iMost of the party, however, spent the 
time in Slish Wood, where many treasures were collected. The profusion 
