274 
The Irish Naturalist. 
December, 
There were six nominations of membership. Several past members 
replaced their names on the roll of the Club. 
September 29.— Excursion to Portmarnock and Mai^ahide.— 
Members and visitors to the number of thirty took part in this excursion, 
which left Amiens-street by the 1.45 train. On reaching Portmarnock 
station the party walked across the dunes to the seashore, under the con- 
ductorship of W. F, Gunn. From this point until near Malahide the 
shore line is occupied by rocks of the Lower Limestone — dolomites, 
shales j\nd purer limestone, which yielded abundant but rather frag- 
mentary fossils. Near Malahide the dunes again occupy the shore line, 
and here the botanists were able to collect some of the rarer plants — 
Thalictrum dunettse, Trifolitwi arvetise, Atriplex Babingtonii^ &c. At Malahide 
the party had tea, and returned to town by the 6.35 train. 
November 10.— Excursion to Kii,i,akee.— Members and visitors to 
the number of thirteen, attended this meeting, which was devoted to 
the study of Fungi. Leaving Terenure at 1.30 the main party drove to 
beyond Rockbrook, and then ascended the slope of Cruagh as far as the 
edge of the wood. Here D. Houston, F.I/.S., explained the life history 
of the fungi, and then led the party through the beech wood, collecting 
and discussing such representatives of the group as turned up. These 
included Coprinus, Rn%siday Boletus, Bolyporus, Clavaria^ and several 
Myxomycetes. Darkness put an end to the search, and the excursion 
returned to town, after having met for tea at Rockbrook Post Office. 
November 13- — The first business meeting of the Session took place in 
the lecture theatre of the Royal College of Science. The President in 
the chair. There was a crowded attendance to hear a paper by Prof. 
G. A. J. CoiyE, F.G.S., on " Continental Glaciation in ancient and modern 
times." The lecture covered a large section of the subject, dealing with 
modern glaciation in the Alps, the origin of the Prussian Plain, modern 
glaciation in Greenland and Alaska, and the traces of former glaciation 
in Pernio-Carboniferous times. Prof. Culverwell, T.C.D., spoke on the 
paper and discussed the different theories as to the cause of ice ages. 
Prof Carpenter followed with remarks on the effect of the Ice Age on 
botanical and zoological distribution. R. LI- Praeger pointed out the 
difficulties which would arise if the suggestion of the sun being a 
variable star were accepted. 
The following were elected members :— Mrs. Sheehy-Skeffington, 
M.A. ; Miss Powell, T. Irvine, T. Hailissy ; and as associate members : — 
Gerald Tierney, P J. L- O'Connor. Two proposals for membership and 
two proposals for as.sociate-membership were received. 
BELFAST NATURAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPmCAL 
SOCIETY. 
November 13.— Sir Otto Jaffe, J. P., delivered his Presidential 
address, on the subject : "Weimar and its Associations with Goethe and 
Schiller." The address was illustrated by a special series of lantern 
slides. 
