PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
237 
Society for the summer recess. Ornithological facts, with the exception of Mr. 
Andrew’s highly-interesting paper on the membranaceous duck of Australia, had 
occupied the attention of the Society very briefly during the late meetings; hut he 
trusted a large accumulation of such would be in store for the ensuing session. He 
thought that the following notes might prove interesting :—Walking on the shore 
of Knocknagin, on the 3rd of April, 1854, he (Dr. Farran) saw eight or ten male 
wheatears (a Saxicola CEnanthe ), in fine plumage, sitting on a little eminence or 
sand-hill. It being a fine sun-shining day flies were abundantly about, on which 
the wheatears were feeding, in the manner of the flycatchers, capturing the insect on 
the wing, and immediately returning to the spot they left. They appeared fearless, 
suffering you to approach within five yards, and remaining motionless until at¬ 
tracted by their prey. It would appear, from such a number of male birds being 
together, that they preceded the females in their migration. Another fact was, the 
almost total disappearance of the brent goose (.Anser Brenta) from the Dublin 
markets. This bird, erroneously named bernicle, has hitherto been abundant, and 
much esteemed for its flavour. The winter was very severe, which usually brings 
them in numbers to our shores. The cause of their disappearance should be in¬ 
quired into. 
The Chairman then stated there were the names of some distinguished men that 
had been approved of by the Council to be balloted for as Honorary Membgrs. 
He should mention that it was a rule of the Society that “No person residing in 
Dublin, or within ten miles of it, can be elected as an honorary member of the 
Society.” 
Mr. Andrews, one of the secretaries, then stated that this meeting closed the ses¬ 
sion for the season. The Society in its objects had endeavoured, throughout the 
past session, to bring before its meetings subjects, original, useful, and instructive, 
and more especially of value in practical points. The mere collecting of the objects 
of the natural history of a country, or the records of their existence, are but limited 
stages in the advance of the science; our powers should be bent to trace causes of 
existence, and the results, useful and practical, derivable from such causes. He 
trusted that, during the recess, the members would aid these objects of the Society. 
He also mentioned that it was proposed that the usual annual dinner should take 
place, of which due notice would be given to the members. 
The Chairman then announced that the following gentlemen had been unani¬ 
mously elected honorary members:—Colonel Sabine, F.R.S., President of the 
British Association ; Thomas Bell, Esq., F.R.S., President of the Linnean Society; 
Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., &c., Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Kew; Edward Newman, Esq., President of the Entomological Society ; J. O. 
Westwood, Esq., Ex-President of the Entomological Society; Joshua Alder, Esq., 
and C. E. Martin, Esq., Dublin Ordinary Member. 
The session was then adjourned to November. 
DUBLIN UNIVEBSITY ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. 
JUNE 17, 1854. 
R. Ball, LL.D., President, in the chair. 
The following donations were received to the Library :—“ Sigilla Ecclesiae Hiber- 
nicse Illustrative,” by R. Caulfield, Esq., A.B., Parts 1 and 2; “ Walks after 
Wild Flowers,” by Richard Dowden, Esq., of Cork; and the Natural History 
Review, for April, by the editors; the thanks oi the Association were ordered to be 
given to the donors. 
Dr. Ball read a paper on the Caprimulgide and Hirundinidas, in reference to 
the often-started query, as to whether the swallow truly migrated or remained with 
us, in a torpid state, during the winter months. He mentioned, as an instance of 
