i8 
The Irish Natui alht. 
January, 
Prof. Henry H. Dixon exhibited seclions of the leaf of Dendrobhim 
Beckleri^ showing siliceous spherules in the cells on the outside 6f the 
bundle-sheath. The spherules are deposited in small cubic cells, which, 
as the siliceous mass grows, lose their nucleus and cytoplasm. The 
spherules are fairly uniformly distributed over the outside of the bundle- 
sheath ihroughout the leaf, but are not found below the absciss-layer. 
This distribution holds good in all the orchids in which the spherules 
have been observed. 
Prof. G. H. CarpKnTKR showed two new species of CoUembola— an 
Isotoma and a Cryptopygus— collected by the members of the Scottish 
National Antarctic Expedition, under the leadership of Mr. W. S. Bruce, 
on the vSouth Orkney Islands. The Cryptopygus is closely allied to 
C. crassits, Willem, from the shores of Gerlache Channel, Graham's I^and, 
while the Isotoma shows an unexpectedly close relationship to the 
Arctic species, /. Beselsii, Packard. 
BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 
SOCIETY. 
December 5.— Mr. W. F. de V. Kane lectured ou " Prehistoric Man 
in Southern France." 
DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
November II. — Excursion to the Si,ade of Saggart.— In spite 
of the inclement weather a number of members and visitors left Terenure 
for Brittas b}' the 12.15 tram. On arrival the party walked through the 
Slade under the conductorship of F. O'B. Ellison, B.A. (Hon. Sec). The 
object of the excursion was the study of mosses and liverworts, of which 
many specimens were obtained. After having tea at Brittas Bridge, the 
party returned to Dublin by the 5.30 tram. 
November 14.— R. M. BarringTon in the chair. Prof. G. H. Car- 
penter, B.Sc, read a communication on Loh;/iaimia insignis, an Oribatid 
mite new to Ireland. This communication has been published in full 
in the Irish Naturalist for December. W. F. de V. KanE, M.A., de- 
livered a lecture on " Prehistoric Man in Southern France," which dealt 
with the remains left by palaeolithic man in the stations of I^e Monstier, 
La Madelaine, Les Eyzies, etc., in the Dordogne. The lecture was 
illustrated by a series of lantern slides, and by a collection of flints. The 
following members took part in the discussion: — R. LI. Praeger, R. J. 
Ussher, Prof. Carpenter, Miss M. C. Knowles, and C. Wilcox. R. LI. 
Praeger exhibited Euphrasia Sa/isburge/isis from six Irish botanical 
divisions. Miss M. Paxton, B.A., and Messrs. Bruce, Stewart, and Wilcox, 
were elected members of the Club. 
