196 



The Irish Natu7^alid. 



Septembef, 



After dinner a business meeting was li eld — ^V. K. de V. Kane, D.I/., in 

 the chair — when the following resolution was passed : That the best 

 thanks of the Belfast and Dublin Naturalists' Field Clubs are due to the 

 Council and members of the Louth Archaeological Society for their kind 

 assistance and company during the day." 



On Friday, the T4th inst., the 8.48 a.m. train was taken to Ardee. Here 

 the party was met on the platform by Joseph T. Nolan, M.A., President 

 of the Louth Archaeological Societ}^, who kindly acted as local guide 

 during the day. The first place visited was the church. They then 

 visited the two ancient castles in the town. Then the party broke up, one 

 section going to Ardee Bog for botanical and conchological purposes . 

 but the main party followed Mr. Nolan to a large fort, situated about a 

 quarter of a mile from the town, called variously the Priest's Mount, 

 Castle Guard, and in the ordnance survey maps Dawson's Court. 



The 3 o'clock train was taken back to Dundalk,and in the evening the 

 party broke up and returned to Belfast and Dublin. 



NEWS GLEANINGS. 



The Dublin Museum. 



The appointment of Mr. A. R. Nichols as Assistant Keeper of the 

 Natural History Collections of our National Biuseum caused the second 

 Assistantship to become vacant. This post has now been filled, we are 

 pleased to learn, by the promotion of Miss Jane Stephens, B.A , B.vSc, 

 who was made Technical Assistant last autumn in succession to Mr. J. 

 N. Halbert. 



The Belfast City Museum. 



Thanks to the efforts of its new Curator, the Public Museum, Belfast, 

 is showing marked signs of improvement. Some of the wall cases 

 (Ethnography) and other departments of the museum already show 

 evidences of a trained hand, and the marine-store methods are fast dis- 

 appearing. The Grainger stone implements are emerging from their 

 long hibernation in dusty drawers and dustier stores. Still more 

 pleasant it is to record the courtesy inquirers receive from Mr. Deane, 

 whose exhibit of our wild flowers, freshl}' gathered week by week, and 

 clearly labelled, are giving much pleasure and instruction to many folk, 

 old and young. The latter may now be seen regularly brought into the 

 Museum to the flower exhibit by both parents and governesses. We 

 witnessed the other day an excellent little demonstration given by a 

 governess to her three young pupils, when there were over forty 

 species on the shelves. These included plants of the meadow, shore, 

 and river bank, with such extras as the Irish Spurge {Euphotbia hibema), 

 &c. , and a fine sod of Drosera rotimdifolia. 



