20 
The Iiish Naturalist. 
January, 1906. 
Prof. Gregg Wilson, D.Sc — I/iving marine animals; microscopic pre- 
parations. R. Welch, M R.I.A.— Ivand and fresh-water MoUusca, includ- 
ing carinated i9«r<:m«;;z J.Wright, F.G.S — Foraminifera from 
Rockport, Belfast Lough. 
Miscellaneous —Thomas Brown— Amethyst from Achill Island, 
mounted and unmounted. Ballycastle Toy Industry — Toys, &c., made by 
peasant children. R. A. Dawson, A R.C.A. (Lond.)— Specimens of clay 
and gypsum from Co Antrim, and specimens of simple pottery suitable 
for local industrial development. F. C. Forth, A.R.C.Sc.I.— Meteoro- 
logical charts ; model of tubular bridge at Gobbins. C. Hilland (of 
Dundalk)— Punch bowl of Dundalk Volunteers, 1782. J. L. S. Jackson- 
Old wooden water pipes recently dug up in Donegall Street. Mrs. 
Letts — Penal candlesticks ; model of a vShip "The Neptune," made by 
French prisoners in Nelson's time, &c. Sharman D. Neill — Replicas in 
silver of old Irish cups, methers, &c., showing Celtic ornament. W. H, 
Milligan — Casts of Crumlin and Middlesbro' meteorites. Miss J. Moore — 
Toys made by Cusliendall peasants. H. M. Robb— Peat, &c., from the 
Irish Peat Development Company, Maghery. W. H. Robinson— Some 
scarce Irish coins. R. Welch, M.R.I.A.— Natural history photographs. 
November 21. — The President (W. H. Phii,i,ips) gave an address, which 
was illustrated by limelight views, on " Reproduction of Ferns." There 
was a fair attendance. After dealing with the ordinary- mode of repro- 
duction, and tracing the history of ferns, the lecturer concluded with a 
description of some of nature's short cuts in propagation of ferns by 
bulbils on the fronds and rhizomes, hy buds, and by apospory and 
apogam}-. 
R. Wet^ch, M.R.I. a., showed sections of, and described the raised 
beach, now exposed by road-widening operations for the electric tram at 
Mount Vernon, Shore Road. This paper will appear in extenso in our 
pages at an early date. 
Several new members were elected into the club. 
November 29.— N. H. Foster, M.B.O.U., gave a talk on " Bird 
Watching." For the pursuit of this study the only requirement, in 
addition to our eyes and ears, was a good field-glass, by the aid of 
which birds could be closely observed at a considerable distance. 
Correct identification was imperative if the observations were to be of 
any v.ilue ; size, shape, colour, characteristic actions, sound emitted, as 
well as the physical features of the bird's habitat, applied singly or 
collectively, were the main aids to identification in the, field. Many a 
rare wanderer to this island undoubtedly escaped notice, and the lecturer 
urged the importance of having every bird which the capturer might 
consider rare submitted to a local expert, with full particulars as to when 
and where it had been obtained. 
Robert Patterson mentioned some extraordinary results of watch- 
ing bird migration off the West Coast of Scotland this autumn, that 
hitherto very rare visitor, the Lapland Bunting, having been obtained in 
large numbers. G. C. Gough, H. L. Orr, W. H. Gai^way, and R. May 
continued the discussion. 
