i86 
The Irish Naturalist. 
Augtist, 
BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 
June i6th. — Excursion on Lough Neagh to Ardboe and 
TooME. — A party of 85 members and friends attended. Leaving Belfast 
by the 9.15 a.m. train, Antrim was reached at 10. Then the party 
walked to the little quay on the Six-mile Water, where the latter falls 
into Lough Neagh, and embarking on the S.S. Lough Neagh Queen, a start 
was made across the lough for the Tyrone shore, where all disembarked 
at Newport Trench, shortly after noon. The party then walked south- 
ward along the shore by a tolerable path to Ardboe Point, a mile distant. 
Here some time was spent examining the very fine high cross and the 
ruins of the old monastery and church. Short descriptive addresses were 
given by three of the members, W.J. Fenuell. M.R.I. A., William Gray, 
M.R.LA., and Rev. W. S. Smith. Returning to the steamer a start was 
made for Toome Bridge, which was reached about 3.15. A period of two 
hours was allowed here. The principal object of interest to the majority 
of the party was the diatomaceous earth industr}- carried on by Messrs. 
Grant. Large tracts of the flat land on each side of the River Bann are 
covered to a depth of several feet with an extensive deposit of diato- 
maceous earth ; and it was interesting to see it dug out like peat, wheeled 
away to another part of the field, and there stacked up to dry, when it 
becomes white and floury. After tea, a short business meeting was held, 
W'hen seven new members were elected. Toome was left by steamer at 
5.20, and Antrim reached again at 7.15, in good time to take the 7.52 train 
for Belfast, where all arrived at 8.35. Too much time was occupied on 
the water to enable the naturalists to render a big account regarding the 
places visited. When at Ardboe some Yellow Wagtails were seen, which 
was quite an event to the ornithologists, this being one of the few places 
where this exceedingly local visitor to Ulster occurs, A pair of Oyster- 
catchers on the shore near Newport Trench seemed by their behaviour 
to indicate that their young were in the neighbourhood, but a hurried 
examination failed to discover them. This bird has not hitherto been 
recorded as breeding in County Tyrone. The botanists were fortunate 
in seeing in full flower at Ardboe that provokingly erratic plant, the 
Henbane, Hyoscyajnus niger. Two interesting plants were observed in 
plenty on a sandy stretch north of Ardboe, the Soapwort, Saponaria 
officinalis, and the Mountain Groundsel, Senecio sylvatiais. Raminctdus 
heterophyllus was alsQ obtained at one spot, and among the other less 
common species noted were Myrrhis odorata, Lychnis diurna, Lysiniachia 
Nununularia, Conium maculatum, Valerianella oliioria, dXi^ Hahenaria<:hIorantha. 
At Toome the best plant was that rare Pepper-wort, Lepidium campestre, 
which was found in a dry sandy ditch bank by the road, on the County 
Derry side of the bridge, a first county record apparently. 
June 30.— Excursion to Shane's Castile.— A party of over 80 
travelled from York-road Terminus, by the 12.25 p.m. train, to Randals- 
town Station, on arrival at which they were met by a few local members. 
Prior to entering Shane's Castle demesne, Mr. A. R. Hogg, one of the 
members, photographed the party. About four hours altogether was tlie 
