66 



The Irish Naturalist. 



March, 



the bodies are always utilized to advance the cause of science. Thus 

 not only have the institutions in Dublin, such as Trinity College, the 

 Museum, the College of Surgeons, and the Veterinary College been 

 benefited and enriched by valuable specimens for dissection which would 

 not otherwise have been obtainable, but some have even gone to Belfast, 

 Edinburgh, Perth, and Sheffield, so that the Society has had the satis- 

 faction of furnishing valuable material for research. 



Professor Mettam has again supplied the Council with a series of most 

 important statements as to the cause of death of several specimens 

 which were submitted to him, as Honorary Prosector to the Society, for 

 post-mortem examination. He has been elected, together with R. M. 

 Barrington and Sir F. W. Shaw, to fill vacancies on the Council. 



The Council have continued their policy during the past year of trust- 

 ing to donations and exchanges in filling any gaps which might appear 

 in the Society's collection. They have felt that any available funds 

 should in the first instance be utilized in providing better accommoda- 

 tion for the animals in the Gardens. The amount spent on purchases of 

 animals did not exceed £^o, while five monkeys and over forty birds 

 were received in exchange. 



As in previous years, the Photographic Committee of the Council 

 received a series of photographs taken in the Gardens. They were more 

 numerous than usual this year, and also excelled in quality. 



The silver medal for the best set was awarded to D. H. Leonard, to 

 whom the Society is much indebted in many ways, and who has very 

 generously placed at the Council's disposal many of the photographs 

 which adorn the report. The bronze medal was awarded to C. M. 

 Finny. 



DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. 



January ii.— The Club met at Leinster House. Dr. R. F. SCHARifF, 

 President, in the chair. 



F. W. Moore exhibited hairs from leaves of a species of Elceagnus 

 from Bulgaria. The leaves appeared quite silvery, owing to being 

 covered with a number of much-branched stellate hairs, which formed a 

 very pretty object when examined under the microscope. 



J. N, HaIvBERT exhibited mounted specimens of a " scal^-insect " in- 

 festing the leaves of an Australian palm {Seaforthia elegans). The " scale " 

 has not been identified, but it is probably a species introduced with some 

 exotic plant. 



Dr. G. H. PeThybridge showed a section of a pustule on a potato- 

 tuber of a fungus {Ftisarium Solani) causing a dry rot in stored potatoes, 

 and the spindle-shaped, four-celled conidia of the same fungus. The 

 parasite, which in most cases apparently enters the tuber through 

 artificial wounds, has caused very considerable loss in two cases coming 

 under his observation in stored " seed " tubers this winter, and the disease 



