PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
31 
in one case, the iron-work of a fire-door was driven to a glow of heat which 
illuminated the darkness all around ; there was danger here, and our young friend 
had to run down a ladder, and open the furnace-door; knowing his way, he ran 
up quickly to the boiler, when instantly he heard a series of sharp blows below, and 
under him, which astonished and somewhat alarmed him. The neighbourhood of 
the factory was one of very doubtful repute, and our young friend concluded, 
that thieves, from the next lane, had scaled some wall, and were terrifying 
him away, so as to give them a clear course for their robbery. However, he, 
firmly believing that misdoers are usually cowards, determined to see after the 
plotter or plotters; he lighted three or four candles, so as not to be benighted in his 
work, and placing them in succession on his way, he approached the locality of 
the noise, bearing a handy iron bar as his protection, and deeming his up-stairs 
condition as a good vantage ground. He progressed—he inspected—all was silent; 
but when he came near the furnace-fire, he was met by a loud shot, like as if from 
a pistol; it was the iron furnace-door, which, in cooling from its red heat, and, at 
the same time, shrinking, thus demonstratively taught him a lesson of acoustics 
and general physics at the same time. 
The natural range of hearing, from grave to acute, is also a curious subject. 
Wollaston tells us, I think, that he could not hear a bat’s scream, it was too treble 
for his auditorial powers. We must suppose that there are also sounds too grave 
for other ears; but the philosophy of acoustics is so wide a field that your ears 
must content them with this superficial sketch on the subject at present. 
DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
JANUARY 12, 1855. 
Gilbert Sanders, Esq., M.R.I.A., in the Chair. 
The usual preliminary business being disposed of, Mr. Andrews laid on the table 
the 8th volume of the Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Li¬ 
verpool, presented by the society; and from himself, Notes on Irish Natural History. 
Mr. James Haughton then presented, from Dr. Kinahan, specimens of Crustacea, 
from the Dublin coast; Daubenton’s bat (Yespertilio Daubentonii), captured in Kil¬ 
dare, 1854, &c. 
Thanks having been returned for the donations, 
Dr. Farran read his paper 
ON PECTUNCULUS GLYCYMERIS, AND ON THE LOCAL RANGE OF MOLLUSCOUS 
ANIMALS, TRACED WITH THE DREDGE. 
It may be within the recollection of some members present that I Jaid before 
the Society the result of my examination, by the dredge, of Berterbie Bay, in the year 
1844 ; and, although that communication extended to an unconscionable length, I 
felt that many most interesting circumstances had been, of necessity, omitted, which 
I then purposed, at a fitting opportunity, to bring under the notice of the Society, 
when I had satisfied myself of the correctness of my views by a re-examination of 
that interesting bay. In accordance with this determination, I have selected from 
many subjects of high interest the history of the beautiful shell, Pectunculus glycy- 
meris, specimens of which are placed before you, purposing to touch but slightly on 
it as to its general distribution, but dwelling somewhat more particularly and at 
greater length on its relation with Berterbie Bay and the shells associated with it in 
that locality. Its history may be briefly given. It is laid down by the best autho¬ 
rities on the subject as being an inhabitant of the European seas, attaining the size 
generally of from two to two and a half inches in length, and nearly the same in 
breadth, increasing in intensity of colour as it approaches the south, and generally 
covered with a thick, villous coat, from which it had, for a length of time, derived its 
