I92I. 



Irish Societies. 



99 



orbae were decidedly more troublesome to human pedes rian ; traversing 

 their haunts than are those of the Wood Sanicle, and only less so than 

 those of either of our Bur-Marigolds. 



Dublin. C. B. Moffat. 



I lately saw Acaena Sanguisorbae running wild in the grounds of Sir 

 John Ross of Bladensburg at Rostrevor. There is a large collection of 

 exotic plants there, many of which sow themselves near the parent, but 

 this species has spread far outside the rabbit-wire enclosure into dry rocky 

 woods, where it forms apparently a permanent membsr of the flora, 

 among Agrostis vulgaris, Teucrium Scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea and so 

 on. Sir John says it is spreading rapidly, and is a bad weed. 



Dublin. R. Lloyd Praeger. 



Brachypodium pinnatum in Co. Dublin. 



During the month of June while in Howth, I found what I thought 

 must be Brachypodium pinnatum. 



It was growing on both sides of the tram line, between Stella Maris 

 station and the Summit, in gravelly soil, and varied considerably, some 

 of the spikelets being branched. I do not know if it is naturalized or 

 introduced. Having taken it to the Museum for verification, I found 

 that it had not yet been recorded from Howth, so Miss Knowles suggested 

 my sending a note to the " Irish Naturalist " as it might be of interest 

 to some of its readers. 



Dublin. J. S. Thomson. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. 



July 2. — Downpatrick. — A party of 54 members left town in motor 

 chars-a-bancs for the Downpatrick area, driving direct to Inch abbey via 

 Saintfield and Crossgar. The President (S. A. Bennett, who was acting 

 as conductor), gave a short and very interesting account of the history 

 of the picturesque ruins. 



From Inch Abbey the party drove to Raholp, via Quoile Castle, in 

 order to visit the little church standing on a low mound, apparently origi- 

 nally a rath, about 100 yards off the road. Here the members were met 

 by Mr. F. J. Bigger, M,R.LA., who rapidly sketched the history of the 

 iDuilding. 



