8 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
NOVEMBER 17, 1854. 
Doctor Croker, M.R.I.A., in the Chair. 
The preliminary business having been disposed of, the donations sent to the 
Society during the recess were laid on the table. 
Thanks having been returned to the donors, Mr. Andrews, Honorary Secretary, 
read the Annual Report of the Council. 
The sixteenth Annual Report of the Society is now submitted ; and, taking 
into consideration the circumstances of the last twelve months, your Council have 
every reason to be satisfied with the position the Society maintains. The steady 
support given by the members is most gratifying, and the interest and usefulness 
of the subjects brought forward during the past session, the following general out¬ 
line of the proceedings will convey:—The first ordinary meeting of the session was 
held in the month of December, 1853, at which Dr. Kinahan gave a paper u On 
the occurrence of the Reddish-grey Bat (Vespertilio Nattereri).” In that paper Dr. 
Kinahan remarked on the very limited knowledge we possess of the bats of this 
country—animals whose habits were but little known and but little studied. At the 
time, Dr. Kinahan considered this to be the second record of its occurrence in this 
country—the first being brought to the notice of the Society by F. M‘Coy, Esq., in 
1845, who presented it from G. Mangan Esq., and as the first record of its capture 
in Ireland, having been killed at the Scalp, county of Dublin, near Enniskerry. 
The specimens obtained by Dr. Kinahan were from Levitstown, county of Kildare, 
where he, at the same time, captured the Pipistrelle bat (Scotophilus murinus). 11 
adds much to the interest of a collection, when the habits and peculiarities of 
objects brought to notice are accurately noted, as in the instance of the paper com¬ 
municated by Dr. Kinahan. The habits of the Pipistrelle bat, he observes, differ 
much from that of Nattereri; its flight and turns are more rapid and sudden—its 
cry shriiler—much more wary and dodging in avoiding capture, and still more 
remarkable from that of Nattereri by its foetid odour. The Pipistrelle appeared of 
less common occurrence—impatient, squealing, and vindictive when captured ; 
while Natterer’s bat was gentle, submitting to be handled without biting, and 
merely gaping with its mouth, uttering a low chirp. At a former meeting Dr. 
Kinahan had submitted a specimen of a bat, of which he had some doubts as to the 
species ; and now, on comparing the characteristics of Nattereri, he was inclined 
to consider its characters to partake both of Vespertilio Daubentonii, and V. 
mystacinus, Bell. In conclusion, he submitted a local list of the animals of a part 
of Carlow, Kildare, and the Queen’s County, from the observations of E. 
Haughton, Esq. Mr. Andrews, one of the Honorary Secretaries, then gave a paper 
u On an Addition to the Ornithology of Great Britain.” In the introductory part 
of the statement, he alluded to the climate, geological features, and peculiarities of 
seasons, as affecting much the geographical distribution of animals and plants. 
The south-west of Ireland, from its extreme western position and temperature, 
possessed many of the characteristics of the western shores of Portugal and Spain ; 
hence, many instances of local peculiarities had been noticed in the botany, ichthy¬ 
ology, and marine animals of the coasts, identical with those of the Pyrenees, and of 
the shores of Portugal and the Mediterranean. The present notice, however, was 
one of far greater interest than any that had hitherto been recorded as a visitor to 
this country. It was that of the membranaceous duck (Malacorynchus membrana- 
ceus), a native of Australia, and of rather local occurrence in that country. Six 
of these singular birds were observed, during very severe weather in the month of 
February, feeding on the soft slob in Castlemaine Bay, county of Kerry ; and the 
beautiful specimen which Mr. Andrews submitted was the only one shot out of the 
flock. The continued severity of the weather prevented further approach to them 
during the time the birds were observed in that bay. Until this most singular 
occurrence of this bird on the shores of Kerry, it was not known but in Australia. 
