22 



The Irish Naturalist. 



February, 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



December 21. — The Vice-President (Rev. W. R. Megaw, M.A.) gave 

 a lecture on " The Popular Study of Mosses." Before calling upon the 

 lecturer the Chairman drew the attention of the members to the fund 

 that is being raised to defray the cost of publication of the " Supplement " 

 to the Flora of North-East Ireland, a work that is being put out at the 

 expense of the Club, and appealed for hearty support. Fifty pounds is 

 needed, towards which eleven guineas has already been promised. 



Mr. Megaw, in the course of his lecture, said mosses were found under 

 every parallel of latitude, in the lowest swamps, and on the snow-line of 

 the Alps. Some specimens grew with seeming indifference in any situation, 

 others affect certain soils. Many mosses are to be found within our city 

 boundaries, on walls and footpaths, and in our public parks and private 

 gardens. Emphasis was laid upon the great importance of mosses in the 

 general economy of nature, where they help to prepare the soil for plants 

 of a higher order. The direct benefit they confer on man is limited, the 

 supply of peat fuel being the chief. Quaint medical, domestic, and 

 industrial uses of mosses were spoken of. Mosses, after lying by for 

 decades, can be renewed by simply soaking them in water ; thus life- 

 like specimens may be examined long after the date of gathering. Peculi- 

 arities of growth, structure, and reproduction were dealt with. The 

 lecturer discussed the value of moss exchange clubs, and made reference 

 to the excellent work done in the study of mosses by a few of the older 

 members of the Club. He ended by making an appeal to the younger 

 generation on behalf of the study of bryology in North-East Ireland. 



The lecture was illustrated by many specimens of mosses, and after its 

 conclusion a short discussion took place, in which J. A. S. Stendal, Miss 

 Rea, and the Hon. Secretary took part. 



DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



January 13— The President, C. B. Moffat, in the chair. A. W. 

 Stelfox delivered a lecture on " Snails and other things," which was 

 illustrated by specimens of the different type of land and freshwater 

 mollusca found in Ireland. After sketching the Hfe histories of habits 

 of several species of the various types, Mr. Stelfox surveyed the distri- 

 bution in Ireland of the mollusca and touched lightly on the theories 

 which have been put forward in this connexion, concluding with some 

 evidence in favour of the supposition of a post-Glacial land connexion 

 with Great Britain, which would have permitted the freshwater shells 

 of the Severn basin to migrate to Ireland via a united Barrow, Nore, Suir, 

 and Severn estuary. 



A promising discussion was cut short by the approach of Curfew, 



