•<' •■■•• f"- jHii-lr ' ' ■> \ M THE IRISH NATURALIST OF GENERAL IRISH NATURAL HISTORY ORGAN OF THE Royal Zoological Society of Ireland ; Dublin Microscopical Club ; Belfast Naturalists' Field Club ; Dublin Naturalists' Field Club ; Cork Naturalists' Field Club EDITED BY GEORGE H. CARPENTER, M.Sc M.R.I.A. AND R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., M.R.I.A. VOL XXVI. DUBLIN : EASON & SON, LIMITED 42 GREAT BRUNSWICK STREET BELFAST: 17 DONEGALL STREET LONDON: SIMPKIN. MARSHALL. HAMILTON. KENT & CO.. LTD, 1917. Jffs > CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PRESENT VOLUME. Benson, Rev. Charles W., ll.d., Balbriggan. Bonaparte-Wyse, L. H.. Holland Park Gardens, London. Bradshaw, D. B., Dublin. Bullock-Webster, Rev. Canon G. R., All Hallows, London. BuRKiTT, J. P., Enniskillen. Campbell, D. C, Londonderry. Carpenter, Prof. G. H., m.sc. Royal College of Science, Dublin. Carroll, C. J., Rocklow, Fethard. Clarke, W. Eagle, ll.d., Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. CoLGAN, N., Sandycove, Co. Dublin. DoNisTHORPE, H. St. J. K., f.z.s., London. Flemyng, Rev. Canon W. W., m.a., Coolfin, Portlaw. Foster, Nevin H., f.l.s., Hillsborough, Co. Down. Greer, Thomas, Curraglasson, Stewartstown. Groves, James, f.l.s., Larkhill Rise, Clapham. GuNN, W, F., Dawson Street, Dublin. Hart, W. E., Kilderry, Londonderry. Johnson, Rev. W. F., m.a., Poyntzpass. Knowles, Matilda C, National Museum, Dublin. Langham, Sir Charles, bart., Tempo Manor, Enniskillen Lee, William A., i Rock Ferry, Cheshire. M'Ardle, D., Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. May, George C, Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin. Moffat, C. B., Ballyhyland, Enniscorthy. Nicholson, G. W\, Oxford and Cambridge Club, London. Patten, Prof. C. J., m.d.. University, Sheffield. Pentland, G. H., Black Hall, Drogheda. Pethybridge, G. H., PH.D., Royal College of Science, Dublin. Praeger, R. Lloyd, b.e.. National Library, Dublin. Rea, Margaret W., Strandtown, Belfast. Roebuck, W. Denison, f.l.s., Leeds. Ruttledge, Robert F., Hollymount, Co. Mayo. ScHARFF, R. F., b.sc, National Museum, Dublin. Shaw, Sir F. W., bart.. Bushy Park, Terenure. Southern, Rowland, b.sc. Fisheries Office, Dublin. Stelfox, Margarita D., Bally magee, Bangor, Co. Down. SwiNEY, J. H. H., Cloghaneely, Belfast. Waddell, Rev. C. H., b.d., Greyabbey, Co. Down. Williams, W. J., Dublin. Workman, W. H., Belfast. PLATES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Equisetum litorale >» i> • Gorilla " Empress, " aged 4-5 years aged 2 years aged 4-5 years Irish Greyhound Pig Mosses and Hepaticae of Glen of the Downs Plagiothecium elegans »> >> To face page 141 page 147 pag 125 page 127 page 129 page 173 page 73 page 79 IND Agrotis segetum, maxillae, 104. Amblystegium serpens, var. angusti- folia, 33. Anemones, blue Wood Anemones, 120. Anosia archippus in Co. Cork, 18. Aquatic fungi, 55. Arbuti corona, 21. Arcyria punicea, ^2. Argulus foliaccus, 152. Arion ater. \ariation in, 121. Asparagus officinalis. North Bull, Dublin, 34. Badgers and Hedgehogs, 20. Bat flying in daylight, 36. Bat, Leisler's, speed of flight, 19. Beetle, new Irish, 99. Benson, Charles W. : Summer migrants at Balbriggan in 19 16, 54. Belfast Naturalists' Field Club : 14, 52, 83, 152, 166, 185. Bird-hfe, effect of winter, 89, 118, 172. Birds' eggs, measurements and weights, 41. Birds, Irish : Recent notices, 19, 194. Bittern in Co. Tyrone, 53. Bonaparte-Wyse, L. H. : Notodonta bicoloria in Co. Kerry, 1(34. Bradshaw, D. B. : Filago minima at Howth, 17. Bullock-Webster, Rev. Canon G. R. : Characeae of Fanad, East Donegal, I. Burkitt, J. P. : Effect of winter 1916- 17 on birds, 172 ; Longeared Owl, note on, 161 ; Migrant notes, 103 ; Woodwren in Fermanagh, 196. Bustard, Little, in Co. Clare, 36. Butterflies in Roscommon, 171. Calocoris striatus, 8^. Campbell, D. C. : Hoopoe in Co. Donegal, 195. Cardamine amara in East Tyrone, 196. Carpenter, G. H. : Notes on Dublin Gorilla, 125; Grimshaw's " Guide to the literature of British Diptera " (review), 100 ; M' Henry's " Geo- logical map of the City of Dublin area " (review), 102 ; Useful studies for field naturalists, 66. Carrion Crow nesting at Ireland's Eye, 140. Carroll, C. J. : Little Bustard in Co. Clare, 36. Characeae of i^anaa, r. Chlora perfoliata, apparent mnemic action in, 189. Clarke, W. Eagle : Recovery of a Woodcock supposed to have been ringed in Ireland, 139. Cole, Grenville A. J. : Election to Royal Society of London, 135. Coleoptera from Meath and Cavan, 28. Colgan, N. : Apparent mnemic action in Chlora perfoliata, 189 ; Elymus arenarius and Asparagus offtcinahs on the North Bull, Dublin, 34 ; Pectinaria Koreni from Dublin Bay, 136. Colias edusa near Tramore, 193. Colletotrichum orchidearum, 32. Cork Naturalists' Field Club, 15. Crassula namaquensis, 85. Crossbill, food of, 172. Dictydiaethalium plumbeum, 33. Dolphins and Wliales stranded in Ireland, 123. Donisthorpe, Horace St. J. K. : Elater praeustus, a new Irish beetle, 99. Dublin Microscopical Club : 13, 32, 70, 85, 104, 152, 186. Dublin Naturalists' Field Club : 15, 85, 124, 138, 168, 187. Dunleavy, George : Obituary notice, 34- Earthquake or landslip '^ 2j. Eggs, measurements and weights, 41. Elater praeustus 99. Elymus arenarius on the North Bull, Dublin, 34, 56. Entomological notes, 114. Equisetum litorale in Ireland, 141, 171. Eurhynchium rusciforme var. inun- datum, ^2. Filago minima at Howth, 17. Fish diseases, 122. Fitch, W. H. : " Illustrations of the British Flora," with additions by W. G. Smith, reviewed, 33. Flax seeds, germinating, 85. Flemyng, Rev. Canon W. W. : Colias edusa near Tramore, 193 ; Hoopoes in Co. Waterford, 140. J/3SS VI Index. Flora, local, losses to, 137. Foster, Xcvin H. : ^Measurements and weights of Birds' eggs, 41 ; Migrant notes, 123 ; Swifts, departure of, 193 ; Waxwing in Co. Down, 34 ; Winter of 19 16-17 and its effect on bird life in Co. Down, 118. Foxgloves killed by cold, 72. Frogs spawning in severe weather, ^^. Fungi, aquatic, 33. Fungi, Leitrim, ^^■ Gibberella Saubinetii, 13. Gorilla, Dublin, some notes on, 123. Gray, William : Obituary notice, 47. Greer, Thomas : Cardamine amara in East Tyrone, 196 ; Hadena protea in Tyrone, 121. Grimshaw, Percy H. : " A Guide to the Literature of British Diptera " (reviewed), 100. Groundsel seed, papillae, 186. Groves, J., and Canon G. R. Bullock- Webster : Tolypella nidifica, 134. Gunn, W. F. : Trichia afftnis, 34. Hadena protea in Co. Tyrone, 121. Hart, W^ E. : Habits of Vanessa io in Co. Donegal, 121. Hedgehogs and Badgers, 20. Hepaticae of the Glen of the Downs, 73- Heron, Xight, near Dublin, 72. Hoopoe in Co. Donegal, 193 ; in Co. Waterford, 140. Hypopithys multifiora in Co. Leitrim, 17- Ichneumonidae, Irish, 37. Ireland, State of, 6. Jay in Ireland, 88 ; in Co. Dublin, ^i,. Johnson, Rev. W. F. : Larva of Death's head Moth in Co. Down, 194 ; Lissonota basilis, Brischke, in Ireland, 82 ; Irish Ichneumonidae, 37- Kingfisher, unusual flight, 72. Knowles, Matilda C. : Elymus arena- rius on the North Bull, 56 ; Some Co. Antrim proverbs, 87. Lacerta vivipara, 84. Landslip or earthquake ? 27. Langham, Sir Charles : Entomological notes, 1 1. J. Lee, William A. : Sclaginolla Kraussiana in Ireland, 87. Leisler's Bat, speed of flight, 19. Linum usitati.ssimum, 85. Lissonota basalis in Ireland, 82. Lizard, variation of, 84. M'Ardle, David : Musci and Hepaticae of the Glen of the Downs, 73. ]\r Henry, A. : " Geological map of the City of Dublin area " (reviewed), 102. Magilligan plants, 169. Marine Zoology, Irish, advances in, 4th Report, 103. May, G. C. : Carrion Crow nesting at Ireland's Ej^e, 140 ; Jays in Co. Dublin, 33. Migrant Notes, i^, 103, 122, 131. ]\Ioffat, C. B. : An exterminating winter ; its effect on bird-life in Co. Wexford, 89 ; Black Redstart in Co. Wexford, 36 ; Food of the Crossbill, 172 ; Frogs spawning in severe weather, 33 ; Losses to a local flora, 137 ; Migrant notes, 131 ; Obituary notice of George Dunleavy, 34 ; Psithyrus rupestris in Co. W^ex- ford, 134 ; Quail in Co. Wexford, ^lonocystis, conjugation and sporula- tion, 33. Mossy Saxifrages, 171. ^loth, Death's-head, in Co. Down, 194. Mullen, W. H., and H. Kirke Swann : " Bibliography of British Orni- thology from the earliest times to the end ol 191 2," (reviewed,) 163. Musci of the Glen of the Downs, 73. Muscineae of Achill Island, 170. Mycetozoa, Irish, 37. Xaias flexilis in Donegal, 17. Naturalists, useful studies for, 66. Nicholson, G. W. : Additional Coleop- tera from Meath and Cavan, 2S. Notodonta bicoloria in Co. Kerry, 164. Obituary : Dunleavy. George, 34 ; Gray, Wilham, 47 ; O'Brien, Robert Donough, 113. O'Brien, Robert Donough : Obituary, 113- Opuntia tunica, 104. Orchid seeds, variation in form, 70. Ornithological notes from South Mayo, 148. Owl : Long-eared, 161 ; Short-eared Owl at Rockabill, id> ; Snowy Owl in Co Antrim, 194. Index. Vll Patten, C. J. : Arctic Skuas on migra- tion on Mutton Island, Galway, and at ^loville, Co. Donegal, 156 ; Ful- mar Petrels at Inishtearaght, 155 ; Quail on migration at Rockabill, 18 ; Quail and Wren on migration at Maidens, 35 ; Sandwich Terns breeding on Mutton Island, Galway, 155 ; Short-eared Owl on migration at Rockabill,. 18 ; Wood-Warbler on migration, obtained at Maidens, 156. Pectinaria Koreni from Dublin Bay, 136 Pentland, G. H. ; Badgers and Hedge- hogs, 20 ; Boldness of a Stoat, 20 ; Leisler's Bat, speed of flight, 19 ; Swans and their nests, 18. Pethybridge, G. H. : Worsdell's " Principles of Plant Teratology," vol. ii. (review), 10 1. Petrels, Fulmar, at Inishtearaght, 135. Pig. Irish, 173. Plants of Co. Down coast, 12. Polyporus squamosus, 13. Praeger, R. Lloyd : Aquatic fungi, 55 ; Arbuti corona Creview of Scully's "Flora of Kerry"), 21; Blue Wood Anemones, 120 ; Effects of the late Spring, 120 ; Equisetum iitorale in Ireland, 141, 171 ; Fox-gloves killed by cold, 72 ; Hypopithys multiflora in Co. Leit- rim, 17 ; Kingfisher, Unusual flight of, 72 ; Leitrim fungi, ^j ; Magilli- gan plants, 169 ; Mullen and Swann's " Bibliography of British Orni- thology from the earliest times to the end of 19 12," review, 165 ; Naias flexilis in Donegal, 17 ; Obituary notice of Robert Donough O'Brien, 113. Proverbs of Co. Antrim, 87. Psithyrus rupestris in Co. Wexford, 154- Pterogonium gracile in Co. Down, 17. Pyrus floribunda var. purpurea, 71. Quail at Maidens light-house, 35 ; in Wexford, 155 ; at Rockabill, 18. Raphidia, live pupa of, 32. Rea, Margaret W., and Margarita D. Stelfox : Some records for Irish Mycetozoa, ^y. Redstart, Black, in Co. Wexford, 36. Reviews : Grimshaw's " Guide to the Literature of British Diptera, 100 ; Fitch's " Illustrations of the British Flora," with additions by W. G. Smith, F.L.S., 33; M'Henry's " Geological map of the City of Dublin area," 102 ; Mullen and Swann'.s " Bibliography of British Ornithology from the earliest times to the end of 191 2," 165 ; Scully's " Flora of Kerry," 21 ; Worsdell's " Principles of Plant Teratology," vol. ii., loi. Roebuck, W. Denison : Variation in Arion ater in, 121. Royal Zoological Society : 13, 48, 84, T04, T51, 1S6. Ruttledge, Robert F. : Arctic Skua and Black Tern on Lough Mask, 194 ; Migration at Mutton Island, 35 ; Ornithological notes from South Mayo, 148 ; Russet variety of Snipe in Mayo, 104. Saxifrages, mossy, 171. Scapania umbrosa, 186. Scharff, R. F. : Advances in Irish Marine Zoology, 4th Report, 105 ; Earthquake or landslip ? 27 ; Irish Pig, 173 ; Should wasps be killed ? 88 ; Variation of the Lizard, 84. Science Club, new club inaugurated, 71- Scully, Reginald W. : " Flora of Kerry " reviewed, 21. Selaginella Kraussiana in Ireland, 87. Senecio vulgaris, fruit, 186. Shaw, Sir Frederick W. : Night Heron near Dubhn, 72. Skua, Arctic, on Lough Mask, 194. Skuas, Arctic, on migration at Mutton Island and at Moville, 156. Snipe, russet variety, in Mayo, 104. Southern, Rowland : State of Ireland, 6. Spring, late, effects of, 120. Stelfox, Margarita D. : Trichia affinis in Connaught and Ulster, 34. Stelfox, Margarita D., and Margaret W. Rea : Some records for Irish Mycetozoa, 57. Stoat, boldness of, 20, Summer migrants at Balbriggan in 1916, 54. Swann, H. Kirke, and W. H. Mullen : " Bibliograph}' of British Orni- thology from the earliest times to the end of 1912," (reviewed,) 165. Swans and their nests, 18. Swifts, departure of, 193. Swiney, J. H. H. : Bat flying in daylight, 36. Svmphvlurinus Grassii var. aethiopica, "187/ VI n Index Tern, Black, on Lough Mask, i<)4. Terns, Sandwich, breeding on Mutton Island, Co. Galway, 155. Tilletia laevis, 71. Tolypella nidifica, 134. Trichia affinis, 13, 34, 34 Turnip Moth, maxillae, 104. Upupa epops, 140, 195. Vanessa io, habits of in Co. Donegal, 121. Waddell, Rev. C. H. : Pterogonium gracile in Co. Down, 17 ; Rare plants of Co. Down coast, 12. Warble-fiies, fourth stage larva, lateral spiracles, 187. Warbler, Wood, on migration at Maidens lighthouse, 156. Wasps, should they be killed ? 87. Waxwing in Co. Down, 54. Whales and Dolphins stranded in Ireland. 123. jay in Ireland, 88. effect of on Birds, Williams, W. J Winter 1916-17, 89, 118, 172. Wire worm, jaws of, 152. Woodcock ringed in Ireland, recovery of, 139. Wood-warbler on migration at Maidens lighthouse, 156. Workman, W. H. : Bittern in Co. Tyrone, 53 ; Snowy Owl in Co. Antrim, 194. Worsdell, Wilson Crossfield : " Prin- ciples of Plant Teratology," vol. ii. (reviewed), loi. Wren on migration at INIaidens light- house, 35. Wren, Wood, in Fermanagh, 196. Jan., 1917. THE IRISH NATURALIST. VOLUME XXVI. THE CHARACEAE OF FANAD, EAST DONEGAL. BY REV. CANON G. R. BULLOCK-WEBSTER, M.A. A visit to friends in the north of Ireland last summer gave me an opportunity, for which I had for some while been waiting, to explore the northern lakes of the Fanad peninsula. East Donegal, with a view to studying their Characeae vegetation. The Ordnance map indicates some very tempting waters at the head of Mulroy Bay where a series of lakes skirts the seaboard and suggests brackish w^aters, the habitat of some of our rarer species. A train journey from Derry to Fahan, a boat journey across Lough Swilly to Rathmullen and a charming drive of 15 miles eventually brought me and my friend, Mr. Colin Montgomery, to Kindrum, where we stayed for a week (July 27 — August 2), spending every available moment in, on or around the loughs which lie close by, and where my companion did me good service both as dragsman and oarsman. It may be of interest, I think, to record the results of an investigation made with such care as the limits of time and uncertainties of weather permitted. I should say at the outset that a boat was available only on Kindrum Lough ; for the rest I had to be content with wading along the lake margins and dragging from the shores. I have marked with an asterisk the species which appear to be new records for East Donegal. Rinboy Lough is a shallow piece of water lying on the sand-flats immediately at the back of the sea-beach. It 2" The Irish Naturalist. January, has a sandy bottom but withal a treacherous one, for here and there the wader finds himself sinking into unexpected quicksands. The bed of the lake yielded an abundant growth of Char a aspera, Willd., and its variety C. desmacantha,^ H. and J. Groves, both in small compact forms and much encrusted. This, and some small growth of C. fragilis, Desv., was all that I could discover. Immediately east of Rinboy L. lies a lough not named in the Ordnance map and treated seemingly as part of Lough Kinny, with which it is probably united in the winter when the intervening marsh lands are inundated. I gathered that its local name is Tra Lough. This lake has a thick growth of reeds and of Chara vegetation so rank that it w^ould be difficult to make wa\^ in a boat even were the impeding obstacle of rushes removed. The Charas here appeared confined to C. aspera, C. desmacantha, C. hispida,^ Linn, and C. rudis* Braun. L. Kinny close by is of very different character ; its w^ater for the most part is deep and clear with a stony bottom. Only tow^ards its north shore, where it reaches the sand-flats, does it become rank and dense with vegetable growth. Here again C. desmacantha abounds, but in this lake it is a large dark green unencrusted form, very spinous, with long recurved branchlets, looking exceedingly like some forms of C. canescens, Loisel. Besides this form was another with short connivent branchlets and long internodes. The other species which I \^'as able to collect b}^ hand or drag w^ere C. aspera and its var. snbinermis,'^ Kuetz., C. contraria, Kuetz., C. fragilis, and its variety delicatula, Braun. This last grows in great abundance in the stony bed at the south end of the lake — choice little tuft}^ plants some 3-5 inches high, with thick incurved branchlets full of fruit. Beyond L. Kinny north-eastward comes a small almost circular lake unnamed in the new half-inch ordnance map. It lies immediately under the little hamlet of Ballylar. Here the drag brought up some specimens of Tolypella, much decayed, w^hich on examination proved to be T. glomerata,* Leonh. An investigation round the shores of the lake revealed other specimens in good condition, igij. Bullock-Webster — Characeae of Fanad. 3 probably a second growth, since T. glomerata usually reaches maturity in April and early May. The lough also yielded abundance of C contraria, C. aspera, and its var. suhinerniis, and C. desmacantha. Over the shoulder of the hill on which the hamlet of Ballylar stands lies Lough Shannagh. This lake would probably repay careful investigation by boat. It has clear deep water with a stony bottom at its southern, and a sandy bottom at its northern, end. It yielded Nitella translucens,^ Agardh. in excellent condition, green and fresh, but little else save some C. aspera thrown up on the shore by the wavelets, and some immature C. fragilis. " Little else," I say, because one large exception must be made. Growing in immense abundance along the western shore of the lake, about 10 yards from the margin and in some 5 or 6 feet of water, was a plant which at present defies identification, unless it be a wholly abnormal form of A^. flexilis,^ Agardh. Mr. James Groves has given some considerable time to examining specimens both of the dried plant and of fresh specimens preserved in solution, but at present it seems difficult to arrive at its identification. It grows in great abundance evidently in a long bank parallel with the west shore, and at the time of collecting was in fine fruiting condition. The plant is monoecious and monarthrodactylous ; that at any rate seems clear. Perhaps further investigation, and also examination of specimens collected if possible at an earlier period of the year, may serve to reveal its true species. I have reserved to the last Kindrum Lough itself as being perhaps the most interesting in its character and yield. The lake lies somewhat southward and thus more inland, and, while shallow in some parts, on its east and north-east side it drops down to a great depth. Here, thanks to the kindness of Lord Leitrim and his local agent, I had the advantage of a boat. I found C. fragilis, var. deli- catiila, growing in the beautiful Httle tufted form of L Kinny, on hard black peat, the plant varying from i|-5 inches, with short, sturdy incurved branchlets bearing abundance of fruit. Also C. fragilis, N. Iranslucens, and 4 The Irish Naturalist. January, C. desmacantha in the same dark green unencrusted forms as found in L. Kinny. The drag brought up immense tresses of this plant some specimens measuring 15-23 inches in length growing in 5-6 feet of water, and having the appearance of C. canescens, for which I mistook the plant till Mr. Groves' microscope revealed its triplostychous stems. It would be difficult to find more beautiful speci- mens. But, still more interesting, the lake ^delded specimens of the curious L. Shannagh Nitella, and also, adhering to some draggings of C. fragilis, were to be detected a few minute pieces of Nitella Nordstedtiana,'^ H. and J. Groves. This plant is always too small to allow of its collection by means of a drag. At the same time it was growing in water too deep (10-12 feet) to permit a rake or hoe to reach its bed. I was, therefore, unable to collect more than these chance pieces. However, the specimens are sufficient for ]\Ir. Groves to identify the plant and to establish the fact of the occurrence of this rather rare Nitella in the Fanad peninsula — a notable extension of its area, since so far it has onty, I think, been recorded from the Killarney Lakes. Another interes^^^'^ plant came up in the drag almost at the same time, not this time a Chara, Najas flexilis,^ Rosk. and Schmidt, till now recorded only from Kerry and Galway. Near L. Tra I came upon a few small trenches about 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep dug probably last spring. Here Charas were luxuriating in pools of clear, clean water where they enjoyed free play unchecked by any stronger growth. They yielded beautiful specimens of C. hispida, C. fragilis, C. delicatida, and C. contraria in forms and condition to satisfy the most exacting of characeologists. I was able also to visit a lake near Melmore Head on the western side of Mulroy Bay— a very interesting piece of water which might have yielded some treasures had a boat been available, for it appeared to abound in Chara growth. Hoe and drag brought up C. fragilis and its var. capillacea* Coss. and G., C. contraria and its var. hispidida* Braun., C. aspera, and C. desmacantha both in small short form and in its large lax form. I9I7- Bullock-Webster — Characeae of Fanad. 5 Of all the plants which I have here recorded I was able to furnish myself with specimens for careful examination and identification, and I have to thank Mr. James Groves for kindly going through the collection with me and giving his skilled assistance and unrivalled knowledge in determining doubtful plants. Reviewing the Characeae yield as a whole, two or three facts call, I think, for observation, (i) The small area to which my investigations were confined yielded 8 species and 6 sub-species and varieties of the Characeae. Had a boat been available it seems more than probable that this list would have been enlarged. Should a second visit to this very attractive and interesting locality prove possible another year I shall certainly make efforts to secure the use of a coracle, of which as I gather there are some in the neighbourhood, and trust myself to its pre- carious stability. (2) The localit}^ seems one likely to yield C. canescens, LoiseL, and its frequent companion C. con- fiivens, Braun. Both these plants frequent brackish water, and this the Kindrum loughs most certainly provide. A more careful search may discover one or another or both. (3) The absence of C. vulgaris, Linn, from the neighbourhood is worth noting, and C. polyacantha, Braun. might certainly have been expected. I found in one ditch nearly dried up some remains of Chara growth which proved to be C. vulgaris, but this is the only trace of the species which I could detect. (4) The prevailing plants it will be observed are C. contraria and C. desmacantha. These seemed to abound and in many different forms. (5) The fact that the undetermined Nitella of L. Shannagh also occurs in L. Kindrum is not without interest and should afford some clue to its identification. In each case it is growing with N. translucens and the possibility of a hybrid suggests itself, but the plant contains, apparently, no traces of the diarthrodactylous branchlets of that species. St. Michael's Rectorj^, College Hill, London, E.C. 6 The Irish Naturalist. January, THE STATE OF IRELAND. BY ROWLAND SOUTHERN, B.SC, M.R.I. A. Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks ; Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights Than those that walk and wot not what they are. Too much to know is to know naught but fame ; And every godfather can give a name. — Love's Labour's Lost, Act I., Sc. i. During the present period of intense national introspec- tion, it might be profitable to enquire into the causes of the recent diminution of interest in natural history in Ireland, and more especially of the decrease in numbers of the " amateur " enthusiasts. The reduced membership of the various Natural History Societies, the falling off. in the attendances at Field Club excursions, and the con- tracting circulation of the Irish Naturalist are symptoms of this lack of interest. Potent causes are undoubtedly the increased and inevitable specialisation of the modern systematist, and the almost complete cataloguing of the more obvious and easily named animals and plants. These two causes alone, however, are not sufficient to account for the present apathy, for the number of problems awaiting solution is as great as ever, and new discoveries are con- tinually opening up fresh avenues for exploration. The potency of fashion to mould the form of our activities, and the rarity of initiative in the " rank and file," are obvious even in science. A main cause of the small interest now displayed in Natural History is un- doubtedly due to the excessive attention bestowed, during the last twenty years, on the problems of Geographical Distribution. The aims and methods of several of the dominant personalities in our midst have been slavishly followed by their disciples, and the distribution of an organism has come to be regarded as its most important characteristic. The infinite complexity of nature obtains 1917- Southern — The State of Ireland, 7 for its elucidation merely a label and a map. The result- ing labours have imparted to the recent literature of Natural History in Ireland, as revealed in the pages of the Irish Natitralist and the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, an arid and monotonous aspect, well adapted to chill the enthusiasm of the veteran and to quench the budding aspirations of the tyro. Of recent years it has become the custom to enlarge a systematic paper by a long discussion on Geographical Distribution. The procedure is after this fashion. The writer has obtained possession, let us say, of a collection of sponges from Kerguelen. He compiles a list of the species, with appropriate notes. Then with his list of species, a good atlas, and a complete set of works dealing with sponges, he retires to his lair, and prepares lists of " Sponges found only in Kerguelen and Spitzbergen," " Sponges found only in Kerguelen and Kamtchatka," " Sponges found only in Kerguelen and the Solomon Islands," " Sponges found only in Kerguelen and Clew Bay," and so on. Then he varies the proceedings with lists of " Sponges found in Kerguelen hut not found in Spitzbergen," etc., etc. Then follow lists of sponges found in Kerguelen and two other localities, sponges found in Kerguelen and three other localities, etc., then sponges found in Kerguelen and one other place, but not found in a third place, etc., etc. And so the dismal narration proceeds, page after page, until somebody sends him another collection from some other distant isle, or an impatient editor gives him a week longer to finish the paper. Of course, nobody ever reads this part of the paper, and one wonders why it was ever written. But it is the fashion nowadays, it is easv, and it exerts the same kind of fascination on the author that some people find in playing patience. More- ever it imparts a fallacious air of broadmindedness, showing that the author has a soul above that of the mere recording fiend. The only solid fact that emerges from such effusions as this is that our knowledge of distribution at present is very imperfect, and will be increased, not by burning the midnight oil, but by collecting more material. 8 The Irish 'Naturalist, January, Another monstrous parody of Natural History is what a returned American — if such a one can be conceived as taking an interest in the subject — would call the " county stunt." Some people have objected to the partition of Ireland into only two divisions, but if they only knew ! The craze for finding an animal or plant in as many counties as possible has recently been very popular in Ireland. Kerry is its Mecca, the Irish Naturalist is its Koran, but it would not be seemly to name its prophet in these pages. Papers after this fashion are even more unreadable than the " Kerguelen " kind, and are often illustrated with weird maps resembling ancient antimacassars. Ardent champions of this game announce with triumph that one of their recent epoch making discoveries constitutes " the eleventh record of this species for County Tyrone," and they select for their collecting trips, places so situated that they can make rapid raids into three or four adjacent counties. As the poet says : — Primroses by the river's brim New County Records are to him, And they are nothing more. The " county " mania often takes the form of an attempt to divide Ireland into a number of similar " ideal " divisions, each of which would have its lake, river, patch of bog, mountain over i,ooo feet in height, and so on. Surely, if the country is to be sub-divided any more than it is at present, this is a topsy-turvey method of procedure. If the divisions are to portray anything in nature, then the more dissimilar they are the better. Moreover, no system of divisions " satisfactory " to the student of the terrestrial fauna and flora could be applied to the in- habitants of fresh-water, still less to those of the sea. Distributional limits are fixed by ecological, not geo- graphical, conditions, and vary according to the group, or even species, under consideration. Attempts to express distribution by symbols, numbers, and abbreviations arc also to be deplored. They render nauseating an already tedious subject, and any doubtful economies of time and space are more than counterbalanced bv the irritation thcv cause to the reader. igiy. Southern — TJie State of Ireland. 9 The last attempt to subdivide Ireland, for biological purposes, was that of J. Adams,' published in these pages in 1908. Not satisfied with the four provinces and the forty counties and vice-counties, he instituted a new partition into twelve sub-provinces, decorated with names of antique flavour. A British or Continental naturalist, anxious to ascertain the distribution in Ireland of a par- ticular animal or plant, would be greatly edified by learning that he might hope to find it in Tirawly, Tirowen, Offaly, Oriell, and Brefney, or in M 103, L 120, C 003, U 123. It would be necessary to illuminate every paper using these hieroglyphics with a map and a long explana- tion, b}^ the aid of which the reader would painfully translate them into geographical terms with which he had some familiarity. And yet the proud proprietors of these systems always quaintly advocate them because they save time and space, and convey their meaning in an illuminating flash. In the system proposed by Adams, rivers and lakes are used to a great extent as boundaries, so that unscrupulous hunters of the aquatic fauna and flora might often bring down two sub-provinces with a single specimen. In the original scheme the boundaries of the marine divisions, in nine out of eleven cases, ran up the middle of a bay. In a subsequent note^ Adams amended this, and moved the boundaries to adjacent pro- jecting parts of the coast, so that the marine divisions ceased to correspond exactly to the terrestrial divisions, thus spoiling the beautiful symmetry which was the chief hope and pride of the original scheme. The seaward boundary of the terrestrial divisions was fixed at low-water mark. Consequently, one shore of nine of the piincipal bays w^as in one sub-province down to low-water mark, and in another sub-province below low- water m.ark. One might catch a crab just above low-water mark in " Desmond," but if the crab were nimble enough, and managed to slip into the w^ater before being captured, it would figure in the records of " Thomond." If that crab had been already recorded from " Desmond," but ^Irish Naturalist, vol. xvii., 1908, pp. 145-151. ^Ib. vol. xviii., 1909, pp. 1-2. 10 The Irish Naturalist. January, not from " Thomond " there would be a strong tempta- tion for the record-hunter to chivy it over the border before capturing it. But such deplorable chicanery could not have occurred to the mind of Mr. Adams, for he says " Species obtained by shore-collecting belong {naturally enough) to the count}^ on whose shores they are collected." Nor, apparently, have the vagaries of " low-water mark," as a territorial boundary, troubled him. But these minor absurdities do not constitute the chief objection to such ready-made faunistic and floristic divisions of a country. They are fundamentally wrong, insomuch as they precede a knowledge of distribution, instead of being based on it. If they are to have any value they must represent the observed limitations of species or groups of species. These distributional limita- tions njust be correlated with the habits and life-histories of the species, and those factors in the environment which prevent their further dispersal. It will then be obvious (as it is now) that each species has its own peculiar dis- tribution, and onh' two divisions will be necessary to express it, one in which it occurs, and one from which it is absent. In reading papers on the geographical distribution of the marine organisms occurring in various localities in the British Isles, one often meets such a statement as this : " The fauna (or flora) of our area is a remarkable mixture of northern and southern forms." This announcement is always made with the air of imparting an important dis- cover}/, and is usually accompanied by a mass of statistical information. For instance, the following sentence occurs in a recently published paper : — " A study of this table reveals the interesting fact that the marine fauna of the west of Ireland, as far as these orders of Crustacea are concerned, is a blending of northern forms with southern species from the Mediterranean, the latter element some- what preponderating." It is difficult to see what alternative the writer considered possible. Owing to the usually re- stricted bathy metrical range of marine organisms, and the general north-south trend of the European coast, the fauna could hardly be a mixture of eastern and western tgiy. Southern — The State of Ireland. II forms. The absence of any well known and important limiting barrier on our west coast makes it equally absurd to expect that the fauna would have a wholly northern, or wholly southern distribution. The only other alternative would be that the fauna was peculiar to the west coast of Ireland, and occurred nowhere else, which would indeed be an interesting fact ! The preponderance of species liaving a distribution mainly to the south is also what c ne v/ould expect a priori, even when the effects of ths warm water of the North European branch of the Gulf Stream, flowing past our west coast in a north, and north- eastern direction, and of the current flowing out of the Mediterranean, the effects of which can be traced as far north as the south coast of Ireland, are left out of con- sideration. In almost all orders of marine animals, the total number of species diminishes as one travels north- wards from the tropics, and consequently there must necessarily be more species, at any given place on the west coast of Europe, having a southern distribution than a northern one. In the same way the marine fauna of the cast and west coasts of America, and the east coast of Asia has a mainly north-south distribution, whilst that of the x^rctic and Antarctic, and of the south coast of Asia has a distribution mainly east-west. In the above paragraphs the writer must disclaim any intention of attacking the legitimate study of Geographical Distribution. Though it has not realised all the expecta- tions of its earliest followers, nor 3/ielded results com- mensurate with the amount of labour devoted to it, it has its real, if subsidiary, function. The remedy for the present devitalised state of Natural History in Ireland is to return to the study of living things themselves, their physical characteristics, their adaptations and habits, and their reactions to the environment. When an adequate knowledge of our fauna and flora has been accumulated from this point of view, we may perhaps be able to derive some intelligent satisfaction from the contemplation of their Geographical Distribution. Fisheries Office, Dublin. 12 The Irish Naturalist. January, RARE PLANTS OF THE CO. DOWN COAST. BY REV. C. H. WADDELL, M.R.I. A. It may be interesting to put on record some localities for a few plants collected in July of this year, two of which are additions to our county list. Draba muralis L. — This plant, which was seen in 1896 by Canon Lett on a wall of the Newry nursery, has spread from the walls and become a troublesome weed, covering the ground in parts of the well- known Daisy Hill nursery on the Co. Armagh side of Newry. Brassica Rapa var. Briggsii Wats. — Common in fields by the shore at Warrenpoint harbour and at Omeath, Co. Louth. Raphanus maritimus Sm. — Omeath. Radiola linoides Roth. — Ferry Hill, Co. Louth. Valerianeila Olitoria Poll. — Walls at Narrow-water, on both sides of the river. Tragopogon porrifolius L. — The Salsify is well established on the banks of the river north of Warrenpoint. ^Lactuca muralis Gaertn. — I found a number of plants of Wild Lettuce growing on the wall and in the open part of the wood by the roadside between Rostrevor and the Woodhouse. This is an interesting extension of range for this species which has not been found before in Ulster, the nearest station being Collon, Co. Louth. Linaria repens Mill. — This beautiful plant is still abundant at Kill- owen, especially on walls and banks by the sea. Scrophularia aquatica L. — Seems to be spreading about Warren- point, where some plants are growing on the sea wall. I found it also at Narrow-water, on the roadside between the ferry and Milltown. Mimulus Langsdorffii Donn. — This beautiful immigrant has established itself on the shore at the mouth of the Moygannon River, where it is accompanied by Atriplex portiilacoides. It is also found further up the river. Stachys arvensis L. — A weed in fields at Omeath Briza media L. — Sea banks north of Warrenpoint. *Zostera marina L. var. angustifolia Hornem. — The common Grass- wrack and its narrow-leaved variety [angusiijolia) grow in great masses on the mud banks in Strangford Lough near Grey Abbey, where they provide food for flocks of Brent Geese (called " Bernacles " in this locality). These pluck up and eat the succulent stems. The leaves lloat ashore, and tl'is " sleech," as it is called, forms a valuable covering for potato bins in winter, but is of little use for manure, it takes so long to decay. igiy- Waddell — Rare Plants of Co. Down Coast. 13 *Z. nana Roth. — The Dwarf Sea-grass has not been found hitherto in Co. Down. I was glad therefore to find it growing with Riippia maritima L. on muddy sand in pools between the Mid Island, Grey Abbey, and the mainland. It was not in flower, but the leaves cannot easily be mistaken. It is covered by 2 or 3 feet of water at high tide. Greyabbey, Co. Down. IRISH SOCIETIES. ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. November 29. — A public lecture was delivered in the Royal Dublin Society's Theatre (by permission of the Council), by Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, LL.D., of Aberdeen, who took for his subject " The Beauty of Animal Life," analysing the conception of beauty as appreciated by the naturalist, and illustrating his remarks by an admirable series of lantern slides. Sir Walter Boyd presided, and the theatre was crowded. Recent gifts include a Red-eared Waxbill from Major Douglas, and a Cockatoo from Lady Errington. A female Woolly Monkey and a Mandrill have been received on deposit ; a Hamadryas and a Yellow Baboon have been purchased. Four Lion-cubs have been born in the Roberts House, " Conn " and " Maive " being the parents. DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. October ii.— The Club met at Leinster House. N. Colgan, M.R.I. A., was elected President and took the chair, W. F. GUNN being appointed Vice-President. H. A. Lafferty exhibited microscopic preparaticns of and pure cultures of a fungus which he had obtained from wheat ears. The fungus was identified as Gihherella Sauhinetii (Mont.) Sacc. ; a species described as parasitic on various hosts in America and on the Continent, but hitherto not recorded from Ireland. November 8 — The Club met at Leinster House, the President in the chair. H. A. Lafferty exhibited a specimen of Ash on which was present the fruiting bodies of the common wood destroying fungus Polyporiis squamosus. Microscopic preparations of wood infested with the mycelium of this fungus were also shown, which clearly demonstrated its enzymic action on the cellulose, especially in the region of the spring wood. W. F. GuNN showed two slides of the myxomycete Trichia affinis De Bary, obtained at Killakee in October. One of these showed the ripe sporangia as opaque objects, and the other the elaters and spores in a transparent mount. The species is said to be common on rotting logs, and has been recorded from Leinster and Munster but not from the other 14 The Irish Naturalist. January, Irish provinces. The sporangia walls are evanescent and easily rupture, liberating the crowded yellow spores which are marked by pitted shallow bands forming a triangular recticulation on the exterior surface. BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. October 24. — Annual Conversazione. — The Winter session opened with a conversazione held in the Carlton Hall, at which about 250 members and friends were present. Members contributed the following exhibits : — Geology — Minerals from Co. Antrim, Robert Bell ; core of Permian conglomerate, R. May ; fossils from Bundoran and Hillsport, A. M'l. Cleland ; specimens illustrating the growth of coal, A. M'l. Cleland ; fossil and recent Foraminfera viewed with the microscope, Joseph Wright ; models of Inishowen and Belfast districts, J. K. Charlesworth ; models made from maps by pupils of Richmond Lodge, .Miss Houston. Botanical Specimens — Prof. R. H. Yapp, N. Carrothers, Rev. W. R. Megaw, A. W. Stelfox, Sylvanus Wear, Miss S. Blackwood, J. R. H. Greeves, H. C. Baker, S. A. Bennett, and James Orr. Zoological Exhibits — Nevin Foster, E. Foster Green, S. Stendall, R. A. Phillips, A. W. Stelfox, and Miss M. W. Rea. Arch^ological Exhibits — Wm. Gray, Miss Maudsley, Mrs. A. M'l. Cleland, Miss S. Blackw'ood, W. A. Green, and R. May. Miscellaneous Exhibits — W. A. Green, photographs of the linen industry ; S. Stendall, kinemato- graph film, " Life of the Spider." After tea the Vice-President (Joseph Maxwell) took the chair, in the absence of the President (Captain A. R. Dwerryhouse) at the seat of war. In the course of his remarks the Vice-President said that among those present were two of the original members of the Club. Evidently natural history pursuits did not necessarily shorten life. Indeed, they were the best antidote possible to the troublous times through we were passing. Even at the front some enthusiasts found opportunities of pursuing their favourite studies. At this stage the following prizes were presented to members of the junior section by the Chairman : — Botanical Enigma Prize, 1915-16, John Dean ; Zoological Enigma Prize, 19 1 5-16, Miss Nora Humphreys ; Botanical Enigma Prize, 19 16-17, Miss Dorothy Armstrong ; Zoological Enigma Prize, 1916-17, Alfred George. Mr. Maxwell concluded his remarks by announcing that Alderman S. T. Merrier, J. P., Chairman of the Library and Technical Instruction Com- mittee, Belfast Corporation, had offered two prizes to the boy and girl who had the best kept notebooks at the end of the forthcoming Winter Session. One ordinary and five Associate members were then elected. The remainder of the evening was taken up by an exhibition of kine- matograph films dealing with natural history subjects, the lantern being manipulated with his usual ability by Alexander R. Hogg. A few photographs taken on some of the club excursions were also shown. November 21. — AIex. M'l. Cleland gave a lecture on " The Roman Engineer : 50 b.c. — 200 a.d. — the Vice-President (Joseph Maxwell) 1 91 7- Irish Societies. 15 occupying the chair. The paper was illustrated by a series of excellent lantern views, many of them from the lecturer's own negatives. After- wards Dr. Charlesworth and N. H. Foster made a few remarks, to which Mr. Cleland replied. With the election of five junior Members the proceedings terminated. DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. October 14. — Excursion to Kilruddery. — A party of twenty-five left Harcourt Street Station at 11.45 a.m. for Bray, arrving at Kilruddery about one o'clock. The day was very stormy. In the wood on the right of the avenue leading from the main gate, the conductor, Prof. A. Henry, pointed out the numerous natural seedlings of various ages of the Silver Fir [Abies peciinata) scattered about in the vicinity of the old parent trees. In the absence of rabbits, this species sows itself in most parts of Ireland almost as freely as the Ash and Sycamore. The fine old hedges of Beech, Yew, Lime, and Evergreen Oak were much admired. In a sheltered spot, some rare New Zealand trees were planted about ten years ago, the most remarkable being the Kauri pine {Agathis australis), of which only another specimen (at Menahilly in Cornwall) is known to exist in the open air in the British Isles. Splendid old trees of Lime and Beech are plentiful in the pleasure grounds ; and the magnificent line of Evergreen Oak [Quercus Ilex), numbering about twenty trees, is unrivalled in Ireland, some of the stems girthing 10 to 12 feet. Special attention was paid to the distinguishing characters of the various species of conifers, such as Pinus insignis (splendid specimen), Pinus excelsa, Deodar, Larch, Abies nobilis. The party returned to Bray about five o'clock. November 30. — The opening meeting of the Winter Session was held at the Royal Irish Academy House. The President (Prof. G. H. Carpenter) gave an illustrated address entitled " Useful Studies for Field Naturalists," which was discussed by N. Colgan, R. Ll. Prager, and C. Dunlop. It will be published in next month's issue of this magazine. CORK NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. July 1. — Excursion to Waterloo. — A party of twelve members travelled by 3.30 p.m. train from Glanmirc to Blarney, from which they walked to Ballygibbon rath. Here the confluctor, J. Noonan, drew attention to the fact that in southern districts the Whortle-berrj' {Vaccinium Myrtilliis) is generally found growing on all the so-called " Danish raths," except on those erected where the soil is calcareous. " Father Horgan's Round Tower " at Waterloo (erected in 1834 as a protest against Henry O'Brien's theory of the origin of tlie Round Towers, then recently published), was next visited. The party then proceeded to Blarney by the picturesque Ardamadane Glen. Tea was obtained at the Blarney Castle Cafe, after which the members returned to town by 1 6 The Irish Naturalist . January, the Muskerry Railway. In addition to its botanical interest the district traversed has many historic and literary associations, which were explained by the conductor. July 12. — Excursion to Bishopstown. — ^The members walked from Bishopstown station to Bishopstown House to visit the site of the eighteenth century residence of the Bishop of Cork. The small chapel, " Shell House," remains of old fish ponds, mineral springs, etc., were shown by Mr. E. Neville. Returning to the city by " Kate Seha's Lane," a fine glacial deposit was examined. West of it is a magnesian lime- stone quarry. By the wayside, east of the Munster Institute, the Hop {Humulus Litpulus) was found well established. This plant is gradually spreading south-west of the city. August 2. — Excursion to Carrigrohane. — On this outing M. Holland conducted the party of members who travelled out by the Muskerry Railway. The growth of Centranthus ruber on the face of the limestone cliff at the station is very conspicuous. Orohanche Hederae was found at the foot of the cliff. After visiting the castle on the top of the cliff, from which a fine view of the Lee valley was obtained, the members walked by the Church Cross and Inchigaggin Lane to Leemount station where tea was provided. Among the plants noted were : — Ononis repens, Tanacetum vulgare, Linavia vulgaris. In the first decades of the last century the Pearl-mussel, Unio niargaritifera was found in abundance in the River Lee at Carrigrohane. August 30. — Visit to the Munster Institute. — A party of twenty- six members and friends assembled at 3.30 p.m. at Victoria Cross, and walked to the Institute by Jennings's Lane. Erinus alpinus was found growing on a wall in the lane. This plant has spread considerably near Cork since the Rev. T. Allin recorded it for Douglas in 1883. On arriving at the Institute the party was received by the Lady Super- intendent, Miss L. Murphy and the members of the staff, and shown over the building, the gardens, dairy, poultry runs, etc. The visitors were subsequently entertained at tea, after which a vote of thanks to Miss Murphy and the staff was passed. September 9. — Excursion to Blackrock. — A party of twenty travelled by tram to Blackrock, and walked by the Church Road to Besborough, which was visited by permission of the Misses Pike. John Griffin acted as conductor. Vervain [Verbena officinalis) was one of the plants observed on the way. Within the grounds fir-cones bearing the characteristic markings left by squirrels were met with. A very luxurious growth of Mistletoe was observable on many trees in the gardens, where Erinus alpinus and Orobanche Hederae were also noted. Leaving Besborough and proceeding towards Lakelands, Geranium striatum was found. The following plants were found in the immediate neighbourhood of the River Lee : — Suaeda maritima, Beta maritima, Anihemis Cotula, Statice Bahusiensis, Salicovuia herbacea, iQiy. Notes. 17 NOTES. BOTANY. Hypopithys multiflora in Co, Leitrim. In October last my wife found several fruiting specimens of this rare plant growing in chinks of limestone rock under hazel scrub at the east end of Lough Gill, on the steep southern side of the knoll near Sriff Cottage, marked 328 on the one-inch Ordnance map. The plant is new to Leitrim, but has been thrice found at the western end of Lough Gill, in Co. Sligo : — ^at Hazlewood in 1871 (Miss Wynne) ; one plant at Doonee Road, 1896 (N. Colgan) ; and one plant at the latter station in 1904, found by myself during the Sligo Field Club Conference. R. Lloyd Praeger. Dublin. Pterogonium s^racile Swartz in Co. Down. Canon Lett and I found this moss growing sparingly on rocks and tree bases in two places on the mountain above Rostrevor not far from the " Big Stone" last July. The species is rare in the North of Ireland and is a welcome addition to the county flora. C. H. Waddell. Grey Abbey, Co. Down. Naias flexilis in Donegal. Canon Bullocl:- Webster's modesty has buried a very important record of one of our most interesting flowering plants among the notes on Donegal Characeae which he contributes to the present number, and I draw attention to it here for fear that the record may be overlooked. First known in the British Islands from Cregduff Lough near Round- stone, Connemara, Naias flexilis was subsequently found at Killarney by A. G. More, and is now recorded from that third stronghold of our western flora, Donegal. In Great Britain it is known only from Skye and Perthshire, and in Continental Europe has a sparse northern dis- tribution. Canon Bullock- Webster's discovery furnishes the most in- teresting addition to the Donegal flora which has been made for many years. R. Lloyd Praeger. Dublin. Filago minima at Howth. I found Filago minima last July at Shielmartin Hill, Howth. The plant is very rare in Co. Dublin as, so far as I can trace, it does not appear to have been previously recorded as occurring in the Howth district. p. B. Bradshaw, Dublin. i8 The Irish Naturalist. January, ZOOLOGY. Anosia archippus in Co. Cork, In the Irish Times of November 7th, 19 16, H. Chavasse records the capture of a specimen of the famous North American " Milkweed Butterfly " near Skibbereen on October 20th. It is well known as a migratory insect, and might have been expected in Ireland before now, as nearly thirty examples have been observed in the south and west of England. Quail on Migration at Rockabili Light=Station. On Thursday, September 28th, 19 16, at 9.30 a.m., Mr. Hammond principal keeper, picked up a dead Quail on the roof of the oil-store which encircles the base of the tower. Beside it lay a Greater White- throat. Both birds, as he handed them to me, were very fresh but soaking wet ; when I dried the Quail I found it was an adult male in splendid plumage. C. J. Patten. University, Sheffield. Short-Eared Owl on Migration at Rockabili Light-Station. In the October number of the Irish Naturalist (vol. xxv., p. 170) I mentioned that at 7.20 p.m. I observed an owl (Short-eared to the best of my belief) flying round Rockabili. The date of my observation, which was August 20th, 19 16, appears to have been accidentally omitted' C. J. Patten. University, Sheffield. Swans and their Nests. A couple of swans frequent our little lake (or rather pond) of about 3 acres. They fly to the open waters of the Boyne in hard weather, come and go at will, but always nest here. However, they have never succeeded in rearing their young. In 1914 and 1915 the young ones died at the age of two or three weeks. Mere bags of fluff they were, and seemed starved. This year the eggs were addled and did not hatch out at all. I am at a loss to guess the reason, and would be glad of any suggestion. I questioned the man who feeds the wild fowl at the Zoo 191 7- Notes. 19 in Dublin who told me that the swans there very rarely rear their young successfully. He attributed this to cold and wet seasons, but I doubt this, because at Beaulieu Pond, w^hich is very like mine, but larger, the swans rarely fail to rear their broods. Moreover, when I was a boy, they bred here very successfully. He also told me the cygnets lived on small flies and insects which they caught on the water. If so, I don't wonder they died of starvation. Surely the parents feed them ? G. H. Pentland. Black Hall, Drogheda. 'O' Recent Notices of Irish Birds. Alfred Bell brings together the records of Pleistocene and later bird remains from the British Isles, including cave, sand-dune, and crannog records. — [ZooL, 1915, p. 401.) C. J. Patten records {Ibid., 1916, p. 41) an Icterine Warbler on migra- tion from Tuskar Rock (with plate). J. M. M'William notes {ZooL, 1916, p. 194) a Bartram's Sandpiper from Bunduff, Co. Leitrim, and contributes a paper {Ibid., 19 16, p. 348), " Notes on some Irish Birds," dealing mostly with Co. Monaghan. R. F. Ruttledge writes {Ibid., 1916, p. 431) on birds of South Mayo, largely Lough Carra. N. H. Foster records {Brit. Birds, ix., p. 119) the Tree-sparrow breeding on a cliff in north Antrim. W. J. Williams announces {Ibid., ix., p. 125) the taking of a young Black-necked Grebe, too immature to fly, from a western lake. A. R. Nichols states {Ibid., ix., p. 253) that the Little Shearwater obtained in Ireland in 1853 proves on examination to be the Madeiran Little Shearwater. C. L Carroll writes on the extermination of the Golden Eagle in Ireland {Ibid., ix., p. 251), Common Buzzard in Wicklow (ix., p. 252), cream- coloured Whimbrel on Lough Mask (ix., p. 255), increase of Tufted Ducks in Tipperary (ix., p. 275), Common Guillemots breeding in Waterford (ix., p. 276), Siskin colony in Tipperary (ix., p. 293), Green Sandpipers in Tipperary (ix., p. 302), Quails in Tipperary and Waterford (ix., p. 302). Rev. C. W. Benson records February Chiffchaffs from Dublin and Wicklow {Ibid., ix., p. 319). and has a note on Quails in Dublin (ix.. p. 320). J. Cunningham notes {Ibid., x., p. 116) some Crossbills near Belfast. Speed of flight of Leisler's Bat. My son told rae this summer that he had seen some large bats hawking about the little lake in my grounds and that they flew very fast, faster, he thought, than a Swift w^hich was with them. Our common bat here is the little Pipistrelle, and any larger bat is very seldom to be seen, •; so I went down the next evening to verify his statements and found it was quite accurate. From two to five large bats haunted the lake and the adiacent woods for most of the fine weather. They appeared about ten 20 The Irish Natnralist. Jan., 1917. minutes before sundown and remained as long as I could see them. They flew high as a rule and with astounding speed. I saw them in company with Swifts several times, and they certainly flew faster than the swifts. When they twisted and turned and swooped after their prey I could not follow their movements. My son shot one of them (no easy feat), and it turned out to be the Hairy-armed, or Leisler's Bat, which is, I believe, the largest bat we have in Ireland. It is perhaps worthy of note that I never heard these bats utter a sound, though they are said to be very noisy on the wing. Of course the occurrence of this bat here is in no waj^ remarkable, but I want to call attention to the extraordinary speed of its flight. The Pipistrelle, so far as I can judge, does not fly nearly so fast as a Swallow. G. H. Pentland. Black Hall, Drogheda. Badgers and Hedgehogs. About fifteen years ago Badgers appeared in my woods and soon formed a flourishing colony. As they increased, the Hedgehogs, which were then very plentiful gradually disappeared. For five or six years I never saw one at all. Then something happened to the Badgers. Their numbers dwindled till the tribe was reduced to one or two and they seem on the verge of extinction and the little Hedgehogs are reappearing ! Cause and effect evidently. G. H. Pentland. Black Hall, Drogheda. Boldness of a Stoat. A few da3S ago, one of the ladies of my family saw a Stoat which had just killed a full-grown Rabbit, and was eating it. She sat down to watch it. At first, being intent on its meal, it did not perceive her, but presently it looked up, saw her and retired into a rabbit hole. She sat still and watched. It came out again, looked at her and disappeared again. She still waited. Presently she was startled by a shrill cry at her back, and turning saw the Stoat at the mouth of a hole about two feet from her. It snarled and squeaked at her. She picked up a stick and made a thrust at the Stoat which retreated for a moment, but reappeared again at once, defying the stick and offering such an angry and menacing appearance that she fairly dropped her stick and ran away, leaving the gallant Stoat master of the field and the rabbit. Stoats have increased in numbers here lately to my great pleasure. There is no more useful creature (outside the poultry yard). G. H. Pentland. Black Hall, Drogheda. February, 1917. The Irish Naturalist. 21 ARBUTI CORONA. " All authorities appear to be in agreement as to the great antiquity of both these groui3s [the Lusitanian and American species of the Irish flora]. Prof. Forbes, indeed, considered that the Lusitanian was the oldest element in our present flora. It probably reached Kerry along a coast-line which was continuous from Spain to Ireland." — R. W. Scully : " Flora of Kerry," p. xl., 1916. " The three southern sub-floras of Forbes [including the Lusitanian], in place of being the oldest as he supposed, we now know must have been the most recent ; and it is now very doubtful to what extent they migrated over continental land now submerged, as he supposed, or were not rather carried by birds, currents, and other natural agencies." — Prof. W. H. Herdman : " Life and Work of Edward Forbes," in Proc. and Trans. Liverpool Biol. Soc, vol. xxx., p. 72, 1915-16. The County of Kerry is, as Mr. Southern has very properly remarked in the last number of this Journal, the Mecca of the student of geographical distribution in Ireland ; and its biological interest centres on the group of Pyrenean plants and animals for which that area is famous. I was under the impression that, excepting the vigorous opinions of the late Mr. Clement Reid- -whose recent death Irish naturalists join with their English brethren in deploring — a fair amount of unanimity had been reached as to the great relative age of these organisms as immigrants to Ireland ; but two passages, recently written, which are quoted above, show that the lion is not yet prepared to lie down with the lamb. One cannot but feel surprise at the confidence with which Prof. Herdman announces that " we now know " that the Lusitanian plants are among the most recent arrivals in the countr}/, and one wonders who is included in the " we " — certainly not one of tlie Irish biologists who have made a special stud}^ of this group and of the question of its origin. One of the many interesting features of Dr. Scully's recently issued " Flora of Kerry "^ is his con- clusions regarding many of these plants, which he has 1 " Flora of County Kerry, including the Flowering Plants, Ferns, Characeae, &c." By Reginald W. Scully, F.L.S. With six plates and a map. Dublin : Hodges, Figgis & f o , Ltd. 1916. 8vo. pp. Ixxxii + 406. I2S. 6d. net. 22 The Irish Naturalist. February, been studying in their native surroundings for a period of twenty-five 3^ears. A remarkable point in Mr. Clement Reid's confession of faith regarding the origin of the British flora is his con- viction that the I.usitanian element is rapidly enlarging the area of its colonies. " I have mapped and examined a good many of these areas, and the plants seem in most places to be' spreading vigorously from certain definite centres, to which chance has imported a seed " (see Irish Naturalist, xx., 207). Dr. vScully's conclusions, drawn from twenty-five years' observations of the Pyrenean group in Kerry, is directly opposed to this idea. Arbutus Unedo is certainly, and Saxijraga Geuni probably, on the decrease, according to him. Furthermore, he has had certain colonies of both Pyrenean and American plants under continuous observation, and finds no tendency in a quarter of a century to increase either in numbers or in area. It is interesting to note that this observation extends to Sisyrinchium angustifolinm and Juncus tenuis, two plants whose claim as natives has often been doubted, and for which a rapid increase in recent times has been frequently suggested : Dr. Scull}^ considers both of them aboriginal, and stable as regards their range. This con- tribution to our knowledge of the status of our western plants will be warmly welcomed. Another important feature of Dr. Scully's book is his discussion of the Robertsonian Saxifrages- .S. mnbrosa, S. Geum, and the rather shadowy 5. hirsuta. By means of a series of cultivation experiments, both synthetic and analytic, carried out at Trinity College Botanic Garden by Prof. H. H. Dixon, it has been shown for the first time definitely that S. hirsuta, as well as a number of other named and unnamed intermediate forms, is an umbrosa- Geum cross ; I sa^^ " for the first time definitely," because I fancy that few botanists who have had experience of these forms in the garden, or w^ho have studied them in their habitats, liave had any reason to doubt the hybrid pedigree of S. hirsuta and its kindred forms. My own experiences, for instance, are probably analogous to those of other people who have paid any attention to the group igi/. PRAEGER — Arbiili Corona. . 23 I broueht 5. Geum from Berehaven to Belfast in i(S88, and grew it in my garden for five years. Numerous self- sown seedlings appeared, all of which agreed with the parent. In 1894 I brought 5. umhrosa from Recess to ni}^ Dublin garden, where for ten years it grew and pro- duced only normal seedlings. Then I received S. Geum from Kerry, and planted it near the other. The most varied seedlings soon Ijegan to appear, representing many stages intermediate between the two species, and including 5. hirsuta. This kind of evidence is good enough in its way, but it does not supply a scientific proof ; and as 1 think that most other botanists had got no further in the matter than I had, the results of Dr. Dixon's definite and controlled experiments are important. Incidentally, I may sav that an account by the experimenter himself, with further information of this research, would have been welcome, and, combined with Dr. Scully's systematic notes, would have been appropriate to the pages of one of our botanical periodicals, where besides it would have obtained a wider publicity. Dr. Scully's long discussion of these forms, and the accompanying six plates of leaf forms (which are rather poor) while most interesting, appear somehow inappropriate in a county Flora, and mar the methodical harmony of the work. We look to the publication of a local Flora, and the intensive study of the plants of the selected area which it involves, to settle outstanding doubts and difiiculties regarding the occurrence or rank of certain species, and similar points regarding which there may have been obscurity. In this respect the " Flora of Kerry " fully maintains its author's reputation for painstaking research and sound judgment. Some of his decisions regarding the standing of plants in Kerry are decidedly interest- ing. Amiong species often looked on ^^•ith suspicion, which he admits to full rank as natives, are Teesdalia nudicaulis (on the strength of one small patch now apparently extinct), Lavaiera arhorea, Trifolium fili- forme, Samhucus nigra. Dr. Moss, editor of the " Cam- bridge British Flora," recently told me that, having examined the only English station (near Bournemouth) 24 The Irish Naturalist. P'ebruary, of Simeihis bicolor, he believed, as H. C. Watson did before him, that the plant is not native there. Dr. Scully has no doubt about its being native in Kerry, and botanists who have examined its Irish habitat will be inclined to agree with him. Thalictrum alpinum is included in the flora, although the Brandon record, now thirty years old, has never been confirmed, despite the numerous visits of botanists to that glorious place. Another plant which is admitted, concerning which I cannot but feel very sceptical, is Elisma natans. The record rests on immature plants collected by G. C. Druce in 1885 near Muckross. JNIr. Druce's record {Irish Naturalist, xix., 237) states that Prof. Gliick, the well-known authority on water-plants, unhesitatingly referred the specimens to E. natans. But Prof. Gliick's account of the matter, as I have already had occasion to remark (Irish Naturalist, xxi., 105), is of a different complexion. As a matter of fact, his statement to me was a good deal stronger than what I. published, and makes it quite impossible to include this plant in the Irish flora on the present evidence. A few plants which we are accustomed to look on as indigenous in most of their Irish stations are set down by Dr. Scully as introduced in Kerry — Spergularia rubra, " alien," for instance, and Ononis repens, " denizen." Armaria alpina is excluded, as being doubtfully British ; and the evidence, though recent, is not considered sufficient to justify the inclusion in the Kerry flora of Cardamine amara, Orchis Morio, J uncus irifidus. The Kerry " discoveries " of the notorious W. Andrews, such as Herniaria glabra and Saxifraga Andreze'sii, are treated as they deserve to be. The puzzling Poly- gonum sagittatum is set down as " alien or denizen." I feel no doubt that all these decisions will commend themselves to students of the Kerrv flora. The treatment of the critical genera is somewhat unequal. The accounts of Rosa, Hieracium, and Potamogeton are particularly ftill and clear, and indicate industrious and critical collecting and careful diagonsis. Rubus, Euphrasia, Chara, etc., are not awarded such full treatment, and K.ive evidently received less attention in the field. The accounts relating to certain special plants are delightfully 19 1 7- Praeger — Arhuti Corona. 25 good ; of Arbutus, for example, and Polygonum sagittatum, and particularly of Saxifvaga umbrosa and 5. Geum, as already mentioned. The more technical information is enlivened with quaint and well chosen extracts from the older writers on the Kerry flora, and the author's love of nature and of beauty often shines through his account of the plants and their habitats. Who will quarrel with him for regarding Pinguicula grandiflora as the most beautiful member of the Irish flora ? At the same time one cannot help thinking that the book is a little bit — dare w^e use the word ? — old-fashioned in its treatment of the flora in its wider sense. The descrip- tion of the topography of the county — so intimately associated with its vegetation — is somewhat mechanical. Only slight attempts are made to look at the vegetation or its constituent parts from the point of view of plant geography or ecology. The subject of regional floras is but w^eakly developed. No discussion is supplied, for instance, of the flora of any of the islands lying off the Kerry coast — not even of the Blaskets, which are of peculiar interest as forming the most westerly land in Europe ; yet the flora of at least the main island of the group is thoroughly known and presents interesting features. Neither does one find any account of the vegetation of the fascinating native woods w^hich are so marked a feature of many of the Kerry valleys, and which at Killarney are of such special importance. But never- theless the topographical part of the book is better done than in the case of many local floras of recent date. The map which — excepting the inartistic but useful plates of Saxifrage leaf-forms — forms the sole illustration in the volume is small and inadequate, and a large number of the places mentioned in the text are not entered upon it. The inclusion of an orographical and a geological map would have greatly assisted the reader in understand- ing the features and problems of Kerry botany. The point which comes out clearest from a study of the distribution of the Kerry plants strikes me as being the extraordinary richness and intricacy of the flora of Killarney. Here favourable and varied conditions prevail 26 The Irish Xatiiralist. February, — there is in a limited area inoiiiitain and lowland, rock and lake, limestone and slates, woods and streams. Again, large houses and gardens are frequent, and the introduced flora is varied ; flower-beds adjoin \\\\d rocky ground with a startling proximity ; many of the garden plants have now run riot ; and so the present Killarney flora presents a bewildering tangle of native and alien plants. One would like to know the number of species found within half-a-mile of the Lower Lake ; it must be, for Ireland, a remarkable total. From omissions or errors of any kind the book is almost free. One misses the name of West Galway from the note on Bartsia viscosa, which is described as disappearing completely betw'een Kerry and Donegal. " Topog. Bot." does not strike one as a happy contraction for " Irish Topographical Botany," since b}^ any but a Hibernian reader it would be confused Vsith Watson's better known work. Nor do " Bien." for biennial, and " Peren." for perennial appeal to one. Mr. Marshall's Ranunculus is referred to as R. petiolan's, though that name, being already occupied, was soon discarded in favour of R. scoficits. The author tells us that he has taken Mr. Colgan's " Flora of the County Dublin " as a model, and so closely has he followed his pattern, as regards not only arrange- ment but paper and type, that when both works are open before one it is impossible to distinguish them except by the context. The " Flora of Kerry " is beautifully printed on thick paper, but typographical errors are rather more frequent than one would expect in a \\ork so carefuU}^ prepared and sumptuously produced. Though dealing with only one count3^ it is more bulky than any of the works dealing with the flora of the whole of Ireland — a distinct disadvantage for the scientific tourist v.'ho wishes to carry it with him on his peregrinations. A thin-paper edition reduced in size so as to allow^ of its being carried in the pocket would be a godsend to the field botanist. The appearance of this able and full account of the distribution of the higher plants in Kerry — the most beautiful and most interesting of all the Irish counties — will be welcomed everywhere by botanists. It is fit and 191 7- Praeger — Arhuti Corona. 27 proper that Kerry plants should have a volume to them- selves, and in Dr. Scully's book they find certainly a noble shrine. R. Ll. p. EARTHQUAKE OR LANDSLIP? BY R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D., M.R.^.A. Bog-slides as well as land-slips near the coast have been observed in Ireland, but I am not aware of slow movements of the soil having ever been noticed or recorded in Ireland. The curious phenomenon that I wish to bring under the notice of the readers of the Irish Naturalist may not be due to this cause. It may possibly be due to a local earthquake, but it seems to me more probably the result of a land-slip. Heavy rains had been falling during October followed by another severe rainfall on the 3rd November last. On the night of the latter date two of my clocks suddenly stopped at ten minutes to eleven, while three other clocks went on as before. The latter are placed with the pendulum swinging in the direction from north to south, whereas the two which stopped are fixed in the direction west to east. My house, I may mention, is built on the slope of Carrigoona Mountain in Co. Wicklow. It stands on a concrete foundation which rests on about 20-30 feet of boulder clay and sand. Underneath this comes the quartzite rock of this district. The clocks had both been keeping excellent time. Besides the fact of their both stopping at precisely the same time indicates that the stoppage was produced by the same cause, which could only have been a shaking of the house in the direction of the slope of the ground, which is eastward. No indications, other than that alluded to, were noticeable to prove that such had been the case. I assumed, nevertheless, that a landslip had taken place. I should be glad to hear any observations on the subject from anyone interested in the matter, Knockranny, Bray. 28 The Irisli Xaiaralisf. February, ADDITIONAL COLEOPTERA EROM MEATH AND CAVAN. BY G. W. NICHOLSON, M.A., M.D. Tempted b}^ the fine weather of the latter part of May, I went to Ireland in June, 1916, hoping to do some summer collecting. I could hardly have chosen a worse month, and very soon gave up sweeping and similar summer amuse- ments, and had to content myself with grubbing. In spite of this I did well enough to justify the belief that there are still many surprises in store for the collector in the less well explored parts of Ireland. I.^COLEOPTERA FROM BaLRATH, Co. MeATH. The following are additions to the Irish list : 1. Omalium planum, Pk. One specimen at the sap of a recentty injured oak in the deer-park on June 5. 2. Conosoma immaculahim, Steph. One in moss on the bog on June 10. 3. Neuraphes SparshaUi, Den. One under the bark of a dead log on the bog on June 10. The other side of this log was occupied by a nest of Lasius fuscus. There were, however, no specimens of the ant in the company of the beetle, nor was I able to find any more of it by sifting the nest. 4. Scymnus nigrimis, Kug. Two specimens by beating a fir in the bog wood on June 3. 5. Crepidodera smaragdina, Eoud. This is a doubtful species, and is, in my opinion, merely a variety of C. helxines, L. I took numerous specimens, which agree with such British examples of C. smaragdina as I have compared them with. No other form of Crepidodera was found with them. They were taken off sallows on the bog on several days. I9I7- Nicholson — CoJeoptera froiu Meath and Cavan. 29 6. Otiovrhynchus povcatus, Hbst. This interesting addition to the British Hst, which I have already pubKshed elsewhere/ came as a great surprise. I found one very bedraggled specimen in a shower of rain on the hah steps on June 2, and 12 more on the bog on the loth, where they were shaken out of moss in a ver}^ restricted area. In addition I may mention the following captures : Pterosfickus versicolor, Stm., the second black specimen in this locality ; Megarthrus denticollis, Beck,, in moss on Chamberlaynestown bog ; Olophrmn fuscum, Gr., one in a swamp ; Stemis lustrator, Er., a few with the preceding ; Lathrohium qiiadratiim, Pk., one at the edge of a pond ; Lamprimis saginatus, Gr., one on Chamberlaynestown bog, and two on the home bog out of moss in company with a species of Myrmica ; Encephahis complicans, West., by sweeping in a ditch ; Bolitochara ohliqua, Er., under pine- bark ; Ilyohates nigricollis, Pk., one specimen in moss on the bog ; Euplectus ambiguus, Reich., in sedge refuse ; Neuraphes angulatus, MuelL, two specimens in moss ; Colon bnmneum, Lat., one in sedge refuse ; Agathidiiim margi- nahim, Stm., two with the preceding ; Orthopenis atomus Gyll., at the sap of a wounded oak ; Cercus pedicidariiis , common on reeds, etc. ; Epuraea obsoleta, ¥., E. longida, Er., E.florea, Er., on a w^ounded oak, the former exceeding^ common ; Ips iv-punctata, Hbst., this species, w^hich I added to the Irish list a few years ago on the strength of one specimen from the bog wood,^ was not uncommon under the bark of a pine stump in the same place ; Pityophagus ferrugineus, F., five under the bark of a felled pine ; Atomaria analis, Er., in moss ; Hyperaspis rep- pensis, Hbst., one swept on the bog ; Sericosomus brunnetis, L., together with the var. fugax, F., w^hich is the female of this species, very sparingly by beating young fir trees in the bog wood ; Elater pomonim, Hbst., equally common under the bark of birch and of pine stumps on the bog, also an occasional specimen on the wing and b}^ general sweeping, etc. ; Rhinosimus ruficollis, L., b}/ sweeping ; '^Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, lii., 1916, p. 20?.. ^ Irish Naturalist, xxiii., 1914, P- 7'- 30 The Irish Xatliralisf. February.. Anaspis rufilabn's, Gyll., on hawthorn flowers ; Dryophilus pusillus, Gyll., which I have recently recorded from the Co. Cavan,' was not uncommon on larch in the bog wood ; Barypeithes sulci fr oris, Boh., one specimen on a buttercup ; Sitones hrevicollis, Sch., one by sweeping ; Barynotus elevatus, Marsh., fairly common in moss and by sweeping on the bog ; Coeliodes querciis, F., on oak ; Elleschus hi- pundatus, L., in profusion on sallows in the bog wood ; Apion immune, Kirby, a few on broom. A morning spent on the bog on m^^ cousin's property of Emlagh, near Carlanstown, produced Telephorus litur- atiis, F. ; E later pomonim, Hbst. ; Barynotus Schoenherri, Zett., under stones ; Orchestes scutellaris, Gyll., var. semirufus, Gyll., very common on young birch, without, however, a single specimen of the type form being found ; and Pityophtorus pubescens, Marsh. II. — COLEOPTERA FROM ClOVERHILL, Co. CaVAN. I Spent a good deal of time in vain endeavours to run down Pterostichus aterrimus, Pk. ; in doing so, however, I found six specimens of Carahus clathratus, L., by treading grass at the edge of a lake, and a single Chlaenius holoseri- ceus, F., in a tuft of sedge in the same spot. The capture, in this locality, of the former species is rather surprising, as it is usually recorded from bogs at a high elevation or near the sea. It is generally taken in April. As one half of my specimens are males, and as they are all in excellent condition, I conclude that the species was by no means " over," but that it must be rare in the district, since I was unable to capture any more. Stenolophus vespertinus, Pz., one with the preceding ; Acupalpus luridus, Dj., one in moss on a bog ; Anisodactylus hinotatus, F., var. spuraticornis, Dj., four specimens in turf refuse ; Agabus paludosus, F. ; Stenus crassus, Steph. ; Cryptobium glaber- rimum, Hbst., in moss ; Philonthus carbonarius, Gyll., P:lucens, Er., in straw refuse ; Gyrophaena laevipennis, Kr., by sweeping ; Tachyusa atra, Gr., common on the muddy 1 Irish Naturalist, xxiv., 1915, p. 5, iQi-j. Nicholson — CoJeoptera from Meath and Cavan. 31 shore of a lake ; Hypocyptiis laeviusculus, Man., by sweeping ; Euplectus amhigiiiis, Reich., Tychns niger, Pk., Euconnus hirticoUis, 111., in moss ; Anisotoma ovalis, Schm., by sweeping ; Liodes humeralis, Kug., one on a pine stump ; Agathidiiini laevigatum, Er., in straw refuse ; C Iambus punchilum, Beck., one specimen of this recent addition to the Irish Hst ' out of moss on a bog ; Corylophus sub- laevipennis, Duv., a few in some straw in a field; Hister negledus, Germ. ; Odhebius pygmaeiis, F. ; Chaetarthria seminuhim, Hbst. ; Telephorus figuratus, Man., together with the var. scoUcus, Shp., which latter has not before been recorded from the country ; Malthodes atomus, Th. ; Soronia punctatissirna, 111., two at the sap of a damaged oak. This species is included in Johnson & Halbert's List of Beetles of Ireland,^ without, how^ever, any locality being given ; Rhizophagus cribratus, not uncommon under bark ; Cryptophagus distinguendus, Stm., one by sweeping ; An- therophagiis pallens, Gyll. ; Atomaria basalts, Er. ; Throscus dermestoides , L., common under dead leaves ; Tanysphyrus lemnae, P., not uncommon in sedge at the edge of lakes ; Phytobius comari, Hbst. ; Ceiithorrhynchus cochliariae, Gyll., a few by sweeping ; C. chalybaeus, Germ., I swept one specimen of this species, that I recorded from Meath two years ago : ^ Orobites cyaneus, L. ; Pityophthorus pubescens, Marsh. At various spots on the shore of Lough Oughter I took Be^nbidium assimile, Gyll. ; Chlaenius vestitus, Pk. ; Bledius subterraneus, Er., in abundance. At Castle Saunderson I found one specimen of Donacia impressa, Pk., on an Iris leaf by the shore of a lake. At Lanesborough Lodge I observed Atheta liUeipes, Er., under a stone by the river. Oxford and Cambridge Club, London, S.W. ^ Irish Naturalist, xxii., 1913, p. 49. ^ Proc. Royal Irish Academy (3), vi., 1900-1902 p. 710. ^ Irish Naturalist, xxiii., 19I-I, p. 68, 32 TJlC I visit Xafliralisf. Febrnary. * IRISH SOCIETIES. DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. December 13. — The Club met at Leinster House, N. Colgan (President) in the chair. W. F. GuNN showed two sHdes of the myxomycete Arcyria punicea Persoon, one showing the ruptured sporangia, and tlie other the capilli- tium threads and spores. The species has been recorded from six out of the twelve sub-provinces of Ireland. Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed the live pupa of a female snake-fly (Raphidia) brought from the New Forest, Hampshire, by Dr. Pethybridge, who had found it in old timber. This pupa is remarkable for its great activity and power of movement, resembling, more than other pupae of the Endopterygota, the nymph of a primitive insect. The charac- teristic ovipositor is closely apposed to the dorsal aspect of the abdomen, its tip directed forward. Sir F. W. Moore showed a parasitic fungus Colletotrichiini Orchiclearum Allesch., found growing on a species of Oberonia in the Orchid-houses at Glasnevin. The genus is closely allied to Gloeosporium, from which it differs in having peculiar dark bristle-like sterile conidiophores ; these were seen in the specimens exhibited. This fungus has previously been found on orchids at Glasnevin, and in several continental Botanic Gardens. It is doubtful if it has been found on orchids in a wild state. D. iVFArdle showed specimens of Ettrhynchiuin rusciforme Milde var. inundatiim Bridel, which he recently found attached to stones in a mountain stream at Killakee, Co. Dublin. Specimens were sent to a well-known authority, Mr. H. N. Dixon, of Northampton, who writes : " The Killakee specimens come nearer to plants labelled var. inundaium than the var. prolixum." The latter has long been a desideratum in Ireland. Wilson in his excellent work, " Bryologia Britannica," p. 355, under H. ruscifolium. Dill, states : " In the Hookerian Herbarium there is a curious variety of this species, of a very different aspect from that of the typical form, from Laxlip [Leixlip], Ireland, with elongated cylindrical or filiform fasciculated branches, and smaller roundish, very concave leaves. It is without fruit, and deserves further investigation." The variety inundatum, though not previously published as an addition to the Irish cryptogamic flora, has been detected in one other county (Wicklow). He also showed type specimens in fruit, and as a microscopic object the capsule with the large lid and long curved beak removed, exposing the bright red-coloured teeth furnished with semilunar im- bricated bands for about two-thirds of their length, terminating in fine hyaline points, highly hygroscopic ; annulus almost rudimentary, spores mostly round with a well marked hyaline ring. January 10. — The Club met at Teinster Hou.se, N. Colgan (President) in the chair, 1917- Irish Societies. 33 Prof. G. H. Carpenter showed stained sections through the seminal vesicles of an earthworm in which the stages in the conjugation and sporulation of the well-known sporozoan parasite Monocystis, as lately described by Cuenot, could be clearly demonstrated. W. N. Allen exhibited a specimen of the myxomycete Dictydiaethalium plumbeum, Rost., one of three plasmodia found growing on a log in Dickson's Nursery, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dubhn, on 22 November, 191 6. The plasmodium shown was the largest of the three, and measured about one square centimetre ; when found it was in the rose-coloured stage, and had completed its development when exhibited, being thus of a brownish slate colour. Accompanying the exhibit were coloured drawings of the plasmodium and of the spores, which measured from 6.35 ^u. to 12.7 ^ in diameter, and contained when examined on 2nd December numerous globules which have since been disappearing. D. M'Ardle showed specimens of Amblystegimn serpens, var. angusti- folia Lindb. (Limpr.) and a microscopical preparation of stem and leaves, and copious hght yellow-coloured rhizoids. It differs from the type in the complete absence of a nerve, and the leaves more widely ovate-cordate at the base, forming a distinct auricle, tapering to a fine acumen, margin bluntly and distantly dentate or sinuolate, especially in the lower half. Cells large-ovate, unequal-sided, four times as long as broad, increasing in size upwards, the fine acumen formed of a single cell. The whole plant presents an unusual fragile structure, and forms an interesting microscopic object. The specimens were collected recently at Killakee on the Dubhn Mountains on old wood, they are of a deep green colour, \ to I inch long, growing in neat strata. No fruit has been found ; it will be searched for with the hope of finding more evidence to rank this beautiful distinct form as a species. The exhibitor is not aware of its being previously found in Ireland, and it is an addition to our cryptogamic flora. REVIEW. BRITISH PLANTS. Illustrations of the British Flora. Drawn by W. H. Fitch, F.L.S., with additions by W. G. Smith, F.L.S. 4th revised edition. London : L. Reeve. 1916. 95. net. The new edition of this well-known work has been brought up to date by the inclusion of a few recent additions to the flora of our islands ; and in place of the bare list of Natural Orders given in previous editions an enlarged version of the " Arrangement of Natural Orders " as given in the last edition of Bentham's " Handbook of the British Flora " is substituted, to assist the reader in running down his plant. In the body of the work the addition of certain synonyms and of the English names of the plants will also be a help to the reader. 34 ^ 1^^ lyisli SaLiiralisl. February, OBITUARY. GEORGE DUNLEAVY, Of the many lightkcepers whose well-filled schedules formed the basis of Mr. Barrington's Irish Migration Reports, few contributed so much excellent work as George Dunleavy, who, we regret to see, passed away on the 3rd of January last, at his Islandmagee home, Ballylumford. Dunleavy was stationed at the Fastnet lighthouse in the years 1886-8, and from that station he sent Mr. Harrington the first Lapland Bunting known to have visited Ireland, as well as the third and fifth Irish examples of the Pied Flycatcher, three Black Redstarts, and a Common Redstart. After leaving the Fastnet he was in charge of less promising lighthouses — Spit Bank (1889-91), N. Drogheda (1892-3), Samphire Island (1894-5), and Dungarvan (1896-7), and had naturally fewer opportunities of sending rare birds ; but his vigilances as an observer and his accuracy in noting what he saw made the poorest station a centre of ornithological interest when Dunleavy filled its schedules. His letters showed that he took real ])leasure in the work. At the time of liis death he had attained the age of 72. C. E. M. NOTES. BOTANY. Trichia affinis in Connaught and Ulster. In a report of a meeting of the Dublin Microscopical Club, p. 13 ante, it is stated that Trichia affinis de Bary has only been recorded from Leinster and Munster. Reference to Miss Lister's report on the Mycetozoa, Clare Island Survey [Proc. R. I. Acad., vol. xxxi., part 63) shows that this species has been found in both Counties Galway and Mayo. In Proc. Belfast Naturalists' Field Club, series 2, vol. vii., pp. 86, loi and 161-163, it is moreover recorded for Counties Antrim, Leitrim, Sligo and Fermanagh. I have also collected it in County Down, and found this species to be generally common. Margarita D. Stelfox. Ballymagee, Bangor, Co. Down. Elymus arenarius and Asparagus offi*cma!is on the North Bull, Dublin. On a visit paid to the North Bull on the i6th September last, my first visit since the Bull was closed to the public on its adoption as a military rifle range towards the close of 191 4, I found four patches of this fine grass well established and in fruit along the outer or sea edge of the sand bank beyond the northern end of the golf links. I saw no trace of the grass here in the autumn of 1914, when I examined this part of the Bull in I9I7- Notes. 35 search ol Artemisia Stellariana, and there can be httle doubt that the Elyraus was somehow introduced here in the interval. It may have been sown as a binder of the sands, though the abundance all round of Psamma arenaria, an equally efficient binder, renders that explanation improbable. Or, still more improbable, it may have been drifted by a southerly gale across some twelve miles of sea from the railway bank where it has been sown along the shore near Bray. Or, most probable solution of all, since the grass is cultivated as an ornamental species, it may be a garden outcast thrown on the mainland shore of the creek near Raheny, whence, like the Kamtschathan Artemisia, it has been floated across the narrow water channel to find a resting place amongst the dense fringe of Psamma on the seaward edge of the Bull. Against this assumption of a recent introduction, it might be maintained that the Elymus has been long established on the North Bull and only lately disclosed by a shifting of the sands. But since the sand drift sets steadily towards and not away from the present station of the grass this disclosure seems highly improbable. Near the Elymus stations, but farther inland amongst thick beds of Psamma, seven growing plants of Asparagus officinalis were found, scattered over about half a mile's length of the dunes. Two of these plants bore tall fruiting stems, and the species, obviously originating from garden outcasts on the mainland shore at Raheny, will, no doubt, become a permanent member of the North Bull flora. N. Co LOAN. Sandvcove, Co. Dublin. ZOOLOGY. Quail and Wren on Migration at Maidens Lighthouse. On the night of October 4th, 191 6, Mr. Barlow picked up a dead Quail on the balcony of the ^Maidens lighthouse towxr. The bird proved to be an adult female in splendid condition. Almost synchi;onously a dead adult female Wren was picked up in very good condition. I am indebted to Mr. Barlow for foi-warding these specimens for investigation. C. J. Patten. University, Shefheld. Migration at Mutton island. The following notes are taken from letters received from Mr. Glanville, keeper of Mutton Island lighthouse : — A Grey Wagtail Vvas observed on August 5th, and on August loth one v/agtail was observed going south and another heard calling. Mr. Glanville believes both were White Wagtails, which he says he was familiar with while on the Tuskar. On July 29th,. two Bar-tailed Godwits were observed, and on August 19th a Black-tailed Godwit. A Greenshank was on the island from August 19th until August 22nd. During the latter end of August and early part of September wagtails were numerous on the island and many passed o 6 TJic Irish Naturalist. February, 1917. over. On August 28th Mr. Glanville watched for over an hour three Yellow Wagtails feeding on flies about some decaying sea-weed. Robert F. Ruttledge. Bloomheld, HoUymount, Co. Mayo. Black Redstart in Co. Wexford. On the morning of November 4th two Black Redstarts in female or immature plumage appeared on the roof and portico of this house, having probably been driven out of their course by the great storm that had blown from the south during the whole of the preceding day. They remained here for nine days, and were last seen a little before sunset on the evening of the 12th — a beautifully fine, calm day, on which the barometer stood at the highest point it had reached since the birds' arrival, so that the selection of their time for departure would seem to have been highly judicious. This is the first occasion on which the Black Redstart has been noted — so far as I am aware — in this part of Co. Wexford, v.^hich is eighteen miles from the nearest sea to eastward, and twenty-two from the south coast. I should be glad to know if it has shown itself at other inland stations during the present winter, and under what sort of meteorological conditions. Owing to its preference for porches and window-sills it is somewhat less likely than most of the smaller migrants to escape observation when it reaches a new locality. C. B. Moffat. Ballyhyland, Co. Wexford. Little Bustard in Co. Clare. A female Little Bustard, Otis teivax, in beautiful plumage was shot near Ennis, Co. Clare, on December 20th, iiji(\ and sent to Messrs. WilliamxS, where it is being mounted for me. This is the seventh specimen obtained in Ireland, for of the eight individuals observed between 1833 and 1892 two managed to elude capture. C. J. Carroll. Rocklow, Fethard. Bat Flying in Daylight. On the 15th December last, over a frozen mill pond near Downpatrick, in a bright sun at the hour of 1.25 p.m., I watched for some time a small bat hawking, exactly like a Swallow over water, and like the latter frequently dipping down to touch the ice for a brief moment and off again. Several times it came within a few feet of me, but unfortunately I do not know the different species or I could easily have distinguished it. Only once before have I seen a bat out in the daytime, but then it was in the late .spring or early summer about twelve years ago in the County Cavan. Tlie hour was noon, and it was hawking under the shade of trees, although the sun was shining as in the present case. J. H. H. SWINEY. Cloghaneely, Belfast. March, 1917. TJic Irish Naturalist. 37 SO:\lE IRISH ICHNEUMONIDAE. BY REV. W. F. JOHNSON, M.A., F.E.S., M.R.I. A. Last year was not at all favourable to the pursuit of Ichneumon Flies. These insects like to fly in the sunshine,, and its absence makes them lethargic, so that ver\' few are met with ; they are also more partial to the morning hours than the afternoon. As last year was anything but noted for sunshine and had more than its share of rain and dull weather, it will easily be realised that m^^ captures were not so num.erous as usual. However by taking advantage of what sunshine there was I managed to pick up some specimens here througli the spring and summer ; I also got some specimens at Coolmore where I spent September, and ^Ir. J. J. F. X. King, F.E.S., allows me to record some Irish captures of his. I ^^■as ver}^ 8^^^ ^o take IcJnieiinion inilitaris (jrav. again, for as I pointed out in my last paper' there had been some doubts about this species ^Ahich my capture cleared up. I give /. eiiiancipatus Wesmi. with reserve, as I am not quite satisfied as to its identity. It is very interesting to observe these insects searching for their prey. They will ahght on a leaf and instantly run to underside, then on to the next, up the stem and down the stem, antennae quivering and the whole creature instinct with a hunter's eagerness. So active are they in their movements that it is very hard to follow them and often as I have watched I have never yet seen one strike its victim, but I hope some day to see and observe this action. ^ ICHNEUMONINAE. Cratichneumon annulator Fab.— Coolmore at flowers. Barichneumon anator Fab. — Coolmore on the wing, a male. B. ridibundus Gr. — Coolmore among sallows, a male variety with head, meso- and metathorax and hind femora except extreme base, black, B. incubitor L. — Poyntzpass in fields in June and August. -'• Irish Nahiralist, vol. xxv., 1916, pp. 18, 19. 3S The Irish Nahiyalist. March Barichneumon albicinctus Or. I- _,.,,. r Povntzpass in fields in Tune. B. lepidus Cxr. J ' Ichneumon lugens Gr. — Kcnmarc, taken by J. ]. F. X. King in August, a female with black scutellum. I. sarcitorius L.— Coolmore, a male captured on the outside wall of the bungalow. I. militaris Gr. — Poyntzpass. 1 took another female of this interesting species at Hogweed in one of my fields in June. I. emancipatus Wesm. (?) — Coolmore, on the roadside, a male. I. caloscelis Wesm. — Coolmore among sallows. Probolus alticola Gr. — Coolmore, three females among herbage on a grassy bank, and two males on the wing, all were taken at the same time and the females appeared to be freshly emerged. Platylabus orbitalis Gr. — Poyntzpass in iields in August, a male var. with the hind tarsi white ; Coolmore among herbage on the roadside, a female of the var. subalhellus Gr. Phaeogenes planifrons Wesm. — Poyntzpass in fields in June. P. melanogonus Gm.^ ^ •,-!,•» _ ,. , ,,, > Poyntzpass m fields m August. P. riisticatus Wesm. J Colpognathus divisus Thoms. — Coolmore among sallows. Hemichneumon elongatus Ratz.— Poyntzpass on roadside in ]\Iay. CRYPTINAE. Microcryptus perspicillator Gr.— Poj-ntzpass in fields in August, a male var. with light-coloured antennae. M. improbus Grav. Acanthocryptus nigricollis Thoms. — Coolmore among sallows. Glyphichnemis vagabunda Gr. — Poyntzpass in fields in July. Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, in July, by J. J. F. X. King. Phygadeuon ambiguus Gr. ^ Po\mtzpass in August in fields. Coolmore P. hercynicus Gr. J on roadside among herbage. P. inflatus Thoms. — Poyntzpass in fields in June, male and female ; one of the latter had the legs dark. Coolmore on Wild Carrot. Hemiteles conformis Gm. — Coolmore in porch of bungalow. H. cingulator Gr. — -Poyntzpass in stable window and in fields in July. H. subzonatus Gr. — Poyntzpass in fields in July. H. tristator Gr.— Poyntzpass on hill in June and in stable in July. Cool- more in porch of bungalow. Stilpnus gagates Gr. — Coolmore on roadside among herbage. Atractodes exilis Hal. — Coolmore on roadside among herbage. Haliday says it is very rare in Ireland. 1 took it at Curraun Achill and ]\Ir. Morley took it at Louisburgh and on Clare Island, vide Clare Island Survey {Proc. R.I. A. vol. xxxi., part 24, p. 11.) Spilocryptus migrator Fat. — Poyntzpass in fields in August. S. abbreviator Fat. — Poyntzpass in field in August. var. Hopei Gr. — Coolmore on roadside : this is a female variety. 191 7. Johnson — Some Irish Ichneitmnnidae. 39 Goniocryptus titillator L. — Poyntzpass in fields in July and August. Cryptus dianae Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in fields. PIMPLINAE. Pimpla brevicornis Gr. — Coolmore among sallows. P. punctiventris Thorns. — Coolmore roadside among herbage. P. instigator Fab.— Cappoquin in August, taken by J. J. F. X. King. P. maculator Fab. — Poyntzpass in June in field. Clistopyga incitator Fat. — Poyntzpass in June in garden. Glypta ceratites Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field, a male var, with claws not pectinate. G. trochanterata Bridg. — Poyntzpass in June and August ; among those taken in June was a female which varied in having the hind trochanters partly black instead of entirely so. G. annulata Bridg. — Coolmore among sallows. Stilbops chrysostoma Gr. — Coolmore on roadside among herbage. Banchus moniliatus Gr. — Kilmacrenan, Co. Donegal, taken by J. J. F. X. King in July. It is rare in Great Britain, being only recorded from Colchester, Portland, South Devon and Galashiels. TRYPHONINAE. Metopius dentatus Fab. — On mountain nearCookstown, flying over heather, taken by Mr. Thomas Greer. I took this handsome insect at Cool- more. It has been bred from Lasiocampa callunae, L. querous L. frifoUi, L. qiiercifolia and Saturnia carpini. Exochus podagricus Gr. — Poyntzpass in June in field. E. niger Bridg. — Coolmore among sallows, rare. E. prosopius Gr. — Coolmore among sallows, not common. Bassus multicolor Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field, rare. Homocidus dimidiatus Schr. — Coolmore on sandhills. H. xanthaspis Thoms. — Coolmore among sallows. H. elegans Gr. var. nigritarsus Gr. — Bellurgan, Co. Louth, in June, among herbage, on seashore, a male. H. hygrobius Thoms. — Caught on the wing when driving to Newry in July. Promethus sulcator Gr.^ ^ ^ . ^ ^ ^ ,j _ , , „ TTi r" — Poyntzpass in August m field. P. pulchellus Hlgr. / P. dorsalis Hlgr. — Poyntzpass in May in field, uncommon. Mesoleius rufonotatus Hlgr. — Coolmore among sallows. M. aulicus Crr. — Poyntzpass in June in field. Trematopygus vellicans Gr. — Poyntzpass in August on hill, scarce. Tryphon elongator Fat. — Coolmore on Owen's Fort, at flowers of Wild Carrot. T. brachyacanthus Gm.— Poyntzpass in August on hill, rare. T. vulgaris Hlgr. — Poyntzpass in August, in field. T. brunniventris Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field. Coolmore on Owen's Fort, at flowers. 40 The Iris/i Xninyalisf. March MesoleptUS prosoleuous Gr. — Coolmorc in August on roadside, at flowers, a female, rare. M. leptocerus Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field, rare Polyblastus sphaerocephalus Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field. Cool- more on roadside among herbage. P. pastoralis Gr. — Poyntzpass in June in field. P. pratensis Gr. — Poyntzpass in June in Acton Wood, rare. P. rivalis Hlgr. — Coolmore among sallows, rare. OPHIONINAE. Diaparsus geminus Hlgr. — Poyntzpass in May in field. D. microcephalus Gr. — Poyntzpass in August in field. Coolmore on roadside. Campoplex falcator Fat. — Coolmore among sallows, Limnerium annulator Zett. — Coolmore among herbage. L. xanthostoma Gr. — Poyntzpass on hill in June, on hill and in fields in August. Coolmore among sallows. Omorga difformis Gmel.^Poyntzpass in field in July. 0. cursitans Hlgr.— Poyntzpass in fields in June. 0. multicilicta Gr.— Poyntzpass hill in May, lane in June. Olesicampa sericea Hlgr. — Poyntzpass in field in August. Meloboris crassicornis Gr. — Poyntzpass in fields in June. Angitia insectator Schr. — Coolmore on roadside. A majalis Gr. — Coolmore in window. A. fenestralis Hlgr. — Poyntzpass hill in ^la,y. A. armillata Gr. — Poyntzpass in Acton Wood in June. A. internipta Hlgr. — Coolmore among herbage. Poyntzpass in fields in JNIay, June and July. A. tripunctata Bridg. — Poyntzpass hill in July. Schizoloma capitata Desv.^ — Kilmacrenan in July. Anomalon cerinops Gr. — Kilmacrenan in July. Labrorhynchus nigricornis Wesm. — Cappoquin in August. The three last- named species were taken by J. J. F. X. King. Ophion distans Thoms. — Poyntzpass in October in my house. Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh. I9I7- Foster — Measurements and Weight of Birds' Eggs. 41 MEASUREMENTS AND WEIGHTS OF BIRDS' EGGS. BY NEVIX H. FOSTER, F.L.S., M.R.I.A., M.B.O.U. One hundred and thirty-six species of birds breed, or have been known to breed in the past hundred years, in Ireland ; and of these are appended from my own collection of their eggs the measurements, i.e., greatest length and greatest width, and weights of the em.pty shells. The measurements are given in millimetres and the weights in grammes. It ma\^ be well to state that a few of these eggs (Carrion-Crow, Redstart, Harriers, Eagles, Bittern, Spotted Crake, Red- throated Diver, and two or three others) are not " Irish taken " specimens. The order and nomenclature followed is that of the " B.O.U. List," 2nd edition, and where that differs from the better known nomenclature adopted in Howard Saunders' " Manual of British Birds," the latter is given in square brackets. Raven, Corvits corax Linn. — Average of 2 eggs 49-35X32i — weight Carrion-Crow, C. corone Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 42 -67x29 -78 — weight I -262. Hooded Crow, C. comix Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 42 48x29 -07 — weight 1-2. Jackdaw, C. moneditla Linn. — Average of 6 eggs 35 ^x 24 99 — weight -8. Rook, C. frugilegus Linn. — -Average of 23 eggs 41 13 (36- 5-4.5) x 27-51 {25-29 - 7)— weight I 045. Magpie, Pica pica (Linn.) [P. rustica]. — Average of 33 eggs 33-62 (30-5- 57-3)x 23-71 (22-25-2)— weight 5958- An egg 23X 17-2 in which was no yolk is not included in above average. Irish Jay, Gavrulns glanadrius hibernicus With. & Hart. [G. glandarins]. — Average of 3 eggs 30 9x22 -5 — weight -5066. Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linn.) [P. gracidus]. — Average of 2 eggs 39 •85X 28 • I — weight i -025. Starling, Sturnus vulgaris Linn. — Average of 17 eggs 30 -03 (28-32) x 21 -58 (20-22-5) — weight -497. Greenfinch, Chloris chloris (Linn.) [Ligurinus chlovis]. — Average of 21 eggs 19-82 (i8-5-2i)x 14-105 (i3-5-i5-5)_weight -1019. Goldfinch, Cavduelis cavduelis britannica (Hart.) [C. elegans]. — Average of 5 eggs 17-36X 12-9 — weight 088. Siskin, Spiniis spinits (Linn.) [Cavduelis spinus]. — One egg 16 x 14 — weight '06. 42 The Irish Naturalist. March, House-Sparrow, Passer domesticus (Linn.)- — Average of 32 eggs 21-16 ri8-7-25)x 15.13 (13 -5-16 -5)— weight 1712. Tree-Sparrow, P. montanus (Linn.). — One egg 19 -3x14 -3 — weight -12. Chaffinch, Fringilla coehhs Linn. — Average of 9 eggs 18-9 (18-20) x 14-24 (13 -5-14 -8) — weight -121 1. Linnet, Acanthis cannabhta (Linn.) {Linota cannabina]. — Average of 3 eggs 17 4 X 13-5 — weight 08. Lesser Redpoll, A. linaria cabaret (Miill.) {Linota rufescevs]. — Average of 7 eggs 15-64x11-82 — weight -0643. Twite, A. flavirostyis (Linn.) [I.inota flavirostris]. — Average of 3 eggs 17-93x13-23 — weight -0833. British Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhida pileata^l^LcGiW. [Pyrrhiilaeiiropaea]. — Average of 5 eggs i9-24x 14 04 — weight -118. Crossbill, I.oxia curvirostra Linn. — One egg 21 x 16 — weight -15. Corn-Bunting, Emberiza calandra Linn. \E. miliaria']. — Average of 5 eggs 2 3 - 1 X 16-5 8 — weight -194. Yellow-Hammer, E. citrinella Linn. — Average of 13 eggs 20 57 (19-22) XI5-7 (15-17 -y^—weight -1581. A yolkless egg in the collection measuring i3-7x it is not included in above average. This egg is heavily pigmented all over its surface. Reed-Bunting, E. schoeniclus Linn. — Average of 9 eggs i9-54x 14-31 — weiglit - 1 2 1 1 . Sky-Lark, Alauda avvensis I-inn. — Average of 3 eggs 25-04x16-92 — weight -22. Wood-Lark, Lnllula arhovea (Linn.) [Alauda arborea]. — One egg 26-7X 16 — weight -17. Pied Wagtail, Moiacilla litgitbris Temm. — Average of 7 eggs 19 -24X 15 -06 — weight -1286. Grey Wagtail, M. boanila Scop. [M. melanope]. — Average of 4 eggs 18-42 XI433 — weight -105. Yellow Wagtail, M. raii (Bonap.). — Average of 2 eggs 19 -75x14 5 — weight -105. Meadow-Pipit, Antkus pratensis (Linn.). — Average of 10 eggs 20-31 (i9-8-2o-7)x 14-37 (14-15)— weight -125. Rock-Pipit, A. petrosus (Mont.) [A. obscttnts]. — Average of 2 eggs 20-75 x 1 6 ■ 85 — weight -185. British Tree-Creeper, Cerihia familiaHs britannica (Linn.). — Average of 5 eggs 15 04x12 -04 — weight -0633. Goldcrest, Reguliis regulus (Linn.) {Regulus cristatits]. — Average of 6 eggs 14-03X io-_|6 — 0392. British Great Titmouse, Pants major newtoni Praz. [Par us major]. — Average of 12 eggs 18-15 (i7--0'5)x i-"^^3 (11-2-14 -5) — weight -i. Irish Coal-Titmouse, P. ater hibernicus (Grant) [P. ater]. — Average of 3 eggs I5-33X 12— weight -0633. British Blue Titmouse, P.coeruleits obscurus Praz. [P.coerulcus]. — Average of 3 eggs 14-66X 11-93 — weight -0633, I9I7- Foster — Measurements and Weights of Birds Eggs. 43 British Long-tailed Titmouse, Aegithalus candatus roseus (Blyth) [Acrediila candata]. — One egg 14 x 11 — weight 05. Whitethroat, Sylvia communis Latham [5. cinerea]. — Average of 9 eggs 1 7 • 72 X 13- 49— weight • 0955 . Garden- Warbler, 5. simplex Latham [5. hoytensis']. — Average of 3 eggs i^J3Xi4-6 — weight 123. Blackcap, 5. atricapilla [lAnn.). — Average of 4 eggs 19 -35x14 -65 — weight 125. Grasshopper- Warbler, Locustella naevia (Bodd.). — Average of 2 eggs 17 75 x 14-25— weight -I. Sedge-Warbler, Acrocephulus schoenohaenus (Linn.) [A. phvagmitis]. — Average of 2 eggs i6-35x 12-9 — weight 075. Willow-Warbler, Phylloscopus tvochilus (Linn.). — Average of 6 eggs I4-83X 12 15 — weight -059. Wood-Warbler, P. sibilatrix (Bechst.). — One egg 17 7x12 -2 — weight •071. Chiffchaff, P. collyhita (Vieil.) [P. nifus\. — Average of 4 eggs 15 -6 x 12 -3 — weiglit 07. Missel-Thrush, Turdus viscivonis Linn. — Average of 15 eggs 31 -32 (29-8-34-5)x 2211 (20-23 -8)— weiglit 4566. British Song-Thrush, T. musiciis clarkii Hart. [7\ musicus']. — Average of 26 eggs 27-31 (24-29-5)x 20-6 (19-5-22-5)— weight -3615. Blackbird, T. mentla Linn. — Average of 18 eggs 30 23 (26-33) x 21 -65 (19-25)— weight -44. Ring-Ousel, T. torquatus Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 29 -Sx 21-88 — weight •4325- Redstart, Pboenicurus phoenicHVus (Linn.) [Ruticilla phoenicnviis]. — Average of 2 eggs I8-75X 13-45 — weight -o. British Redbreast, Evithacus rubecula melophilns Hart. [/.£. riibecula]. — • Average of 9 eggs 19-78X 15-39 — weight -15. Stonechat, Saxicola vubicola (Linn.) {Pvatincola ntbicold]. — Average of 4 eggs I9-37X 14-1— weiglit -105. Whinchat, S. rubeira (Linn.) [P. nibetva]. — Average of 2 eggs 18-65X 14 — weight -11. Wheatear, Oenanthe oenauthe (Linn.) {^Saxicola oenanthe]. — Average of 4 eggs 20-35X 15 - 17— weight -1375. Hedge-Sparrow, Accentor moditlaris (lAwn.). — Average of 12 eggs 20 29 (]9-22)xi4-3 (13-7-15)— weight -133. Irish Dipper, Cinclus cinclus hiberniciis Hart. [Cinclus aquaiicus]. — Average of 2 eggs 26 X 18 — weight 24. Wren, Tvoglodydes tvoglodydcs (Linn.) [Troglodydcs parvidus']. — Average of 6 eggs 16 • 33 X 12-45— weight -075. Spotted Flycatcher, Musicapa griseola Linn. — Average of 7 eggs iS-ogx 13-84 — weight -1. Swallow, Hintndo nistica Linn. — Average of 5 eggs i9-G4X 13-8 — weight •104. Martin, Delichon itrbica (Linn.) \Chelidon urbica]. — Average of 3 eggs 19-5x13-93 — weight -1066. 44 '^he Irish Naturalist. MarcVi, Sand-Martin, Ripavia riparia (Linn.) [Cotilc viparia]. — Average of 4 eggs I7-43XI2-82 — weight 078. Cuckoo, Ciiculus canonis Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 22 03x16 -55 — weight -1728. Swift, Micropus apiis (Linn.) [Cypsehis apiis]. — Average of 3 eggs 24-67 X 16 '13 — weight 23. Nightjar, Caprimulgits curopaeus Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 31 ^x 22 jj — weight -625. Kingfisher, Alcedo ispida Linn. — Average of 3 eggs 2^.\x 18 73 — weight •2166. Barn-Owl, Flammea flammea (Linn.) [Sirix flammea]. — Average of 2 eggs 40 ■ 75 X 30 • 6 — weight i • 45 . Long-eared Owl, Asio oils (Linn.). — Average of 2 eggs 41 -25 x 32 5 — weight 1-575. Marsh-Harrier, Circus aeruginosus (Linn.). — One egg 49 5 x 39 3 — weiglit 405- Hen-Harrier, C. cyaneus (Linn.). — Average of 2 eggs 48 25x36 -25 — weight 3-05. Buzzard, Biiteo buteo (Linn.) [jS. vulgaris]. — Average of 3 eggs 54-77X 46 • 83— weight 4.6833. Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetus (Linn.). — One egg 72 3x58 3 — weight 132. White-tailed Eagle, Halia'elus albicilla (Linn.).^ — One egg 70 7x55 7 — weight 1 1 • 2 . Sparrow-Hawk, Accipiter nisus (Linn.). — Average of 12 eggs 39 375 (37-42) X 32-5^5 (32-33)— weight I -821. Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus Tunst. — One egg 51 2 x 37 -8 — weight 3S5- Merlin, F. aesalon Tunst. — Average of 3 eggs 39-23X 31 -3— weight i -^S^, Kestrel, F. tinnunculus Linn.— Average of 11 eggs 39 77 (38-42 •2)x 31 -23 (29-8-33)— weight 1-6. Cormorant, Phcdacvocorax carbo (Linn.) . — One egg 66 • 7 x 4 1 ■ 5 — weight 71. Shag, P. graculus (Linn.). — Average of 3 eggs 61 •3X 38 4 — weight 4-833. Gannet, Sida bassana (Linn.). — Average of 5 eggs 75 ■ 78 x 49 06 — weight 10-966. The eggs of the Order Pehcaniformes are thickly incrusted on the outside with a chalky secretion. In the above three species this incrustation was not removed before weighing, but on scraping it off one of the Gannet's eggs it was found that without it this egg weighed 1 5 grammes less. Mute Swan, Cygnns olor (Gmel.). — Average of 7 eggs 109-86 (10^-113-5) x 7214 (68 •5-75)— weight 38 •943- Common Sheld-Duck, Tadorna tadovna (Linn.) [Tadorua conmtaj. — One t'gg ^ -15-7— ^veight O4. Wild Duck or Mallard, Anas boschas Linn. [A. boscasj. — Average of 6 eggs 58 • 72 X ^ 1 -92— weight 4 • 783. Common Teal, Querquedula cvecca (Linn.) [Netiion crecca]. — Average of 3 eggs 43 • 766 X 32 -4— weight i ■ 78. 1917- Foster — Measuvemcnis and IVeighls of Blnis' Eggs. 45 Shoveler, Spatitla clypeala (Linn.). — Average of 3 eggs 501X 37-36— weight 2 ■~\. Pintail, Datila acuta (Linn.). — One egg 53-5x41 -7 — ^veight 4-35. Pochard, Xyroca fcriv.a (Linn.) [Fuligula fevina]. — Average of 2 eggs 61 • I X 44 • I — weight G • 45. Tufted Duck, A', fuligula (Linn.) [Fitligiila o'istaia]. — Average of 3 eggs 56 ■ I X 40 • 5- -weight 425. Common Scoter, Oedemia nigra (Linn.). — Average of 3 eggs 62 63 x 43 9 — weight 4 ■95. Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator Linn. — Average ol 5 eggs (>\i\ X 45-3— weight 6 326. Heron, Ardea cinerea Linn. — Average of 5 eggs 59-82x41 34 — weight 4-55-1- Bittern, Botaurus stellaris (Linn.). — One egg 52 2x37 5 — v/eight 2-43. Red-necked Phalarope, Phalavopus lobatus (Linn.) [P. hyperborens]. — One egg 30 ■ 2 X 2 o • 2 — weight 35. Woodcock, Scolopax vusticola Linn. — Average of 3 eggs 42 -76x33 -76 — weight 1-4. Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago (Linn.) [Gallinago coelesiis]. — Average of 7 eggs 38-89X 28-34 — weight -8357. Dunlin, Tvinga alpina Linn. — Average of 6 eggs 34 -44x24 -78 — w'eight •483- Redshank, Totanus totanus (Linn.) [Totanus calidvis]. — Average of 5 eggs 43 ■ 8 X 3 1 • 64 — weight 123. Common Sandpiper, Totanus hypoleucus (Linn.).— Average of 4 eggs 36 • 125 X 24 -98 — w^eight -58. Curlew, Numeniiis arquata (Linn.). — Average of 5 eggs 70-24x48-38 — weight 4-82. Golden Plover, Charadrius apvlcarius Linn. [C. pluvialis]. — One egg 47-5 X 35 ■ 7— ^^^eight i 55. Ringed Plover, Aegialitis hiaticula (Linn.) — Average of 4 eggs 36 -5 x 26-25 — weight -7. Lapwing, Vanellus vanellits (Linn.) \V. vitlgaris]. — Average of 9 eggs -16-39 (44-48)x 33-9^ (30 -3-34)— ^veight 1-478. Oyster-catcher, Haematopus ostralegus Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 56-45X 45 -J— weight 3-375- Common Gull, Lams caniis Linn. — Average of 2 eggs 56 35x40 -65 — weight 3-115. Herring-Gull, /-. avgentatus Ponto. — Average of ^^ eggs 68-97 (64 -5-78) x 48 - 5 (43 ■ 7-53 • 3)— weight 5-71. Greater Black-backed Gull, L. marinus Linn. — Average of 3 eggs 76-87X 54-33— ^veight 8-27. British Lesser Black-backed Gull, A. fusciis affi,nis (Linn.). — Average of 4 eggs 69 - 1 25 X 49 - 65 — weight 6 - 1 . Black-headed Gull, L. vidihundits Linn. — Average of 8 eggs 51 71 x 37 -75 — weight 2-3312. Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (Unn.). — Average of 4 eggs 55-7x38-625 — weight 2 625. 46 The Irish Naturalist. March, Common Tern, Sterna Jiintndo Linn. [5. fluvio.lilis]. — Average of .|3 eggs I-'-3- {38-47 • 7) X ^9-84 (28-31 -7)— weight 1.0756. Arctic Tern, S. paradisca Brim. [5. macruia]. — Average of 2O eggs 40-69 (38-44 -8) X 20-36 (25-3-31) — weight 1-0288. Roseate Tern, 5. doitgalli Mont. — Average of 3 eggs 41 • i6x 29-93 — ^veight I -12. Little Tern, 5. uiinuia Linn. — Average of 7 eggs 31 -SGx 24 — weight -56. Sandwich Tern, 5. sandvicensis Lath. [S. cantiaca], — Average of 3 eggs 52 -52 X 36 -9— weight 2 -566. Razorbill, Alca tovda Linn. — Average of 8 eggs 75 03 (72 -3-79) x 48 -31 (46-51 -5)— ^veight 9-49. Common Guillemot, Uria iroille (Linn.) [U. troile]. — Average of 18 eggs ^08 (75 ■5-«9)x 50-25 (48-53)— weight 12-37. Black Guillemot, U. gvylle (Linn.). — Average of 2 eggs 62 - 75 x -10-5 — weight 4-55. Puffin, Fvaterciila ayctica (Linn.). — Average of 6 eggs 60 83x42 87 — weight 3-9167. Storm-Petrel, Thalassidroiiia pelagica (Linn.) [Pyocellaria pelagica]. — Average of 4 eggs 27-95X 21 — weight -4. Leach's Petrel, Oceanodvoma leucoryhoa (Vieill.)- — One egg 33-3x24 — weight -55. Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus (Brim.) [Pufj'inus augloriwi]. — One egg 58 X 43— weight 3-8. Pulmar, Fulmayus glacialis (Linn.). — Average of 2 eggs 74 -6x50 -6 — weight 8-45. Red-throated Diver, Colyinbits stellaius (Pont.) \C . se ptcntyionalis]. — Average of 3 eggs 74 ■ 66 X 45-5— weight 6-6833. Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cyistatus (Linn.) [Podicipes cyistatus]. —Average of 4 eggs 54 ^^-X 35 -875— weight 3-375- Little Grebe, P. fluviiitilis (Tunst.) [Podicipes Jluviatilis]. — Average of 6 eggs 39 -22 X 26-.:] 2 — weight 1-1917. Water-Rail, liallus aquaiicus Linn. — Average of 4 eggs 35-25x25-9 — weight -9122. Spotted Crake, Porzana poyzana (Linn.) \_P0y2ana itiayiietta]. One egg 31 X 23-5— weight -75. Corn-Crake, Crex crex (Linn.) [Crex pyatensis], — Average of 17 eggs 36-85 (34-40) X 25-82 (25-2-27)— weight -834. Moor-Hen, Gallimila chloyopus (Linn.). — Average of 19 eggs 43 -73 (41-47 -2) X 30-61 (27-5-33)— weight 1-9447- Coot, Fulica atya Linn. — Average of 6 eggs 51-95 (48 -5-54) x 36-04 (33 -2-39 -5)— weight 3-4. Stock-Dove, Colmnha aenas Linn. — Average of 2 eggs 36X 28-6 — weight I -25. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon, C. palumhus Linn. — Average of 9 eggs 40-67 (37-42)x 29-08 (27-30)— weight 1-261. Rock-Dove, C. livia Bonn. — One egg 41x28 — weight i-i. Turtle-Do ve, Streptopelia turtiiy (Linn.) [Titytuy communis]. — One egg 30x22-5 — weight '5. 19 1 7- Foster — Measurements and Weights of Birds' Eggs. 47 Pheasant, Phasiamis colchicus Linn. — -Average of 6 eggs 44 -67x35 08 — weight 3 05. Partridge, Perdix perdix (rjnn.) \Pevdix cinered]. — Average of 3 eggs 37 • 1 7 X 28 • 33— weight 1-65. QuaU, Cotiiruix coiurnix (Linn.) [Coturnix communis]. — Average of 7 eggs 3 1 • 7 1 X 238 \ — weight • S286. Red Grouse, Lagopus scoticus (Lath.). — Average of 4 eggs _|4ix3i-9 — weight 1.775. In previous issues of this Journal^ the dimensions and weiglits of full eggs of 109 species were recorded. The two following have since been examined : — Dunlin {Tvinga alpina) — -(^ hatched). Grains. - 154 - i55h Stock-Dove {Columba aenas). Inch. Inch. Grains. 1-43 X I 15 — 264I- Hillsborough, Co. Down. Inch. Inch. Grains. Inch. Inch. i-37 x I • — i59i 1-4 X •97 1-33 X ■98 - - i5.5i- 1-38 X •98 OBITUARY. WILLIAM GRAY. The death, in liis eighty-sixth year, of Mr. Wilham Gray, removes one of the pioneers of the Belfast NaturaHsts' Field Club, and one of the most familiar figures in scientific circles in Belfast. Mr. Gray belonged to the period when a " naturalist " v.as expected to know something of the whole range of science, and he acquired a wide knowledge of local geology, zoology, and archaeology. But detailed study did not appeal to him, and though he collected extensively and had a very complete knowledge of the district in which he lived and worked, he contributed but little to scientific literature during his long and active life. This is to be regretted, as for many years his position as inspector under the Board of Public Works gave him exceptional opportunities for scientific study throughout the counties of Antrim and Down. He was much esteemed by his fellow-members of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club who elected him as President for the years 1879-81 and 1889-91. ^Vide vols, x., xi., xii., xvi., and xviii. 48 The Irish Naturalist. March, IRISH SOCIETIES. ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Recent gifts include a Badger from Mrs. Lendrum, Cavies from Miss Grattan Bellew, and a Ring-necked Parrakeet from Mrs. Newman. A Diana ^Vlonke}-, a Mona ^lonkey, and a Woolly Monkey have been received on deposit, and three White-Collared Mangabeys and two Sooty Mangabeys in exchange. A pair of Swans have been acquired by purchase. January 31. — Annual General Meeting held in the theatre of the Royal Dublin Society (by permission), the Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hogg, ex-President, in the chair. In opening the proceedings, he referred to the loss sustained by the Society through the deaths within the 3^ear of two Presidents : Sir Charles Ball, Bart., and W. E. Peebles. J. P. Prof. G. H. Carpenter (Hon. Secretary) moved the adoption of the Council's Report. This is the third Report presented to the Society since the outbreak of war. Another year of much difficulty, on account of reduced attendance and diminished receipts from ordinary sources of income, has passed ; the Council desires to record thankfully that, through the generous support of members, the Society closes the year in a distinctly stronger position than was the case twelve months ago. At the end of December, 191 3, there was an adverse balance of ,^447 ; this has now been reduced to ^225. The decrease of gate receipts during the past year is attributable to the continuance of war conditions, intensified by the abnormal loss on account of the Easter-week rebellion, to which reference is made below. The Easter holiday entrance payments in 1915 amounted to /132, whereas they were barely £62 in 1916. But the number of visitors to Dublin was lower than ever all through the summer, so that another fall of ^250 in the gate receipts has to be recorded. All soldiers and sailors in uniform are now admitted at half-price on week-da)'s, and this privilege is utilized to a gratifying extent. The increasing economic strain has also reduced seriously the number of members ; it is satisfactory to record the admission of ten new life- members. Thirt)'-f()ur annual members and ten garden subscribers joined during 1916, and several have reluctantly resigned their member- ship. The result is a decrease of /54 in entrance fees and subscription. A year ago it was hoped that further appeals to members of the Society for monetary help might be avoided. Jkit the loss incurred during Easter week, the falling off of admission payments throughout the summer, and the continual increase in the cost of food and fuel combined to produce a financial situation so threatening that the Council felt it necessary to lay the needs of the Society again before its supporters by means of a circular letter. The appeal of 1914 l)rought in gifts amounting to /-|20. This encouraging result was far surpassed during the last six months of 1916, when contributions reaching a total of £575 were sent, in many cases with cheering letters expressing true concern for the welfare of the Society. The Council, on whom has fallen the responsibility of guiding the Society's 1917. Irish Societies. 49 affairs through these trying days, cannot but express gratitude for the support that has been accorded, and acknowledge with liearty thanlffuhiess the generous action of the members at this time of need. During the last few days of the year a promise of a further gift of ;(,ioo — as to the source of which anonymity is enjoined — has been received ; this sum will not be paid until 191 7, and cannot, therefore, be included in the accounts now presented, which show a deficit of £2.2=,. The Council is doing its best to ensure economy in administration, and feivourable engagements have been made for the supply of coal, coke, and hay. Nevertheless the coal bill is 50 per cent, higher than in 1915. A year ago, Sir Charles Ball, Bart., M.D., retired from the Presidency of the Society, and ^Ir. W. E. Peebles was elected in his place. It is with the deepest regret that the Council now record the death of both these old and valued supporters of the Society, which has never before lost an ex-President and a President within twelve months. Sir Charles Ball, whose failing health prevented him from taking the chair at the last annual meeting, died on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day), 1916. The third son of Robert Ball, who was Secretary of the Society from 1837 till 1857, Charles became a member in 1882, and he was elected on the Council in 1S95, becoming President in 19 10. During the last two years of his life he held a lieutenant-colonelcy in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and there can be little doubt that the exertions and ex- posure associated with his militar}^ duties contributed to the weakness which caused his death at the comparatively early age of 65. A good account of his life may be found in the Irish Naturalist for j\Iay, 1916. W, Edward Peebles was the " father " of the Royal Zoological Society, which he joined in 1861. and on N\liose Council he has served continuously since 1879. A barrister and a sportsman, with many varied interests, he was an admirable t\pe of those men of leisure whose valuable help has always been at the service of the Society. It may be doubted if any member has visited the Gardens more constantly than he, and his counsel was continually at his colleagues' disposal, while his gifts to the collections were generous and frequent. The establishment of the Members' Room in the Haughton House was first suggested by him, and later on he con- tributed liberally to its enlargement. The Council has now been informed that IMr. Peebles has becjueathed by will a sum of money for the further improvement of the premises and for the erection of necessary buildings in the Gardens in future ; all these advantages will therefore remain as material evidence of his benefactions. In 1904 he was elected Honorary Vice-President, and when the members of the Council a year ago unani- mously chose him for the Presidency they little thought that he would enjoy that honour for less than a year. Reference has already been made to the serious monetary loss which the Society suftered as one result of the outbreak in Dublin in Easter week. The dilficulty of bringing the collections safely through that week was great, and it is hardly surprising that wild rumours of the shooting of the lions and tigers, because no food could be procured for them, were current, and were believed in some quarters. ^lembers of the Society 50 The Irish Naiuralist. March, should know that the preservation of the collections was mainly due to the zeal and courage of ^Irs. B. B. FciTar and the keepers under lier in- structions. On Easter Monday, z^ih April, the Superintendent had gone as usual to his military duties at the Royal Barracks, where he was neces- sarily detained from the outbreak of the revolt until Thursday, .ith Maj'. In the morning the Gardens were full of visitors, most of whom hurried away when news of the conditions in the Q'lty reached the Park. One family from Dalkey, finding it impossible to get home, returned and was lodged for the night in the Haughton House. The refreshment room was, happily, well stocked with provisions, and the immediate w'ants of residents and some of the animals were tlius provided for. Through the week the keepers could not go to and from their homes, except at risk of their lives; Mrs. Ferrar arranged, therefore, for J. Supple, J. Flood, and T. Kelly to lodge on the premises, and tlie others attended when they could. Heavy firing about Phibsborough on Tuesday, 25th, was all too audible in the Park, and on Thursday, 27th, rifle bullets passed over the Gardens. 'J'he most serious difficulty was the feeding of the large Carnivora ; as it was impossible to get horses from the City, it became necessary to sacrifice some of the less valuable stock in the Gardens, so that an old pon}^ a donkey, a goat, and a few dingoes were used to keep the lions and tigers in food. The Secretary was able to reach the Gardens on three occasions by wa}- of Island Bridge or Chapelizod, and to convey .some urgently-needed provisions. By the beginning of the succeeding week permission was obtained from the military authority for the supply of horse-flesh from the City, and all danger of famine was removed. By the middle of the week, it was possible to convey to the Gardens an unexpected gift of monkeys ; a few visitors who had permission to enter the Park made their way to the Zoo, and small amounts began to be taken at the gate. On Saturday, 6th :\Iay, six members of the Council assembled at nine o'clock, but, owing to the shortage of coal and the absence of gas, no breakfast was provided. On May 13th, however, a fully-attended breakfast and Council meeting coincided with the re-opening of the Park to the public, and the resumption of normal activities at the Gardens. No change has taken place during the year among the Anthropoid Apes ; the Gorilla " Empress," the Chimpanzees " George" and " Charlie," and the Hoolock Gibbon are still the chief attractions of the Monkey House. All have grown and maintained excellent health, the swellings in the neck which troubled the Gorilla during 1916 having now disappeared. The Gorilla must be at present in the fourth year of her age, having completed three full years' residence under J. Supple's care. Besides the three kinds of Anthropoid Apes just mentioned, tliere are now in the Gardens tv;elve Ethiopian, four Oriental, and two South American species of monkey, and three species of Madagascar Lemurs, the twenty-four distinct members of the Primates being represented by forty-seven specimens. It may be doubted if the jMonkey House ever contained a more varied and interesting selection. Noteworthy animals comprise an exceptionally large and handsome Patas, which goes through igi?- Irish Societies. 51 a curious dancing performance, a rare Rolo-way from the Gold Coast, and three White-collar Mangabeys, one of which is of great size. A Hamadr3'as Baboon — the " sacred " monkey of the ancient Egyptians — and a large Anubis Baboon from West Africa live together on friendly terms in the large central cage, which afTords them ampk- scope for mutual chnses and climbing competitions. The American group was represented last year by Capuchins. These have, unhappily, all died, but tv/o Humboldt's Woolly Monkeys (I-agothrix), on deposit, worthil}' represent the New- World Primates, as well as a Fehne Douroucouli — an animal rarely seen in collections. A beautiful little Titi, given by Capt. Henderson during the summer, proved very docile and affectionate ; unfortunately, it died in October. Among the older lions, the East African " Fritz," given to the Society four years ago by Mr. H. Gurney Barclay, has died ; all the other mature stock is still on view. Four litters of cubs were born during the year, comprising twelve specimens. Of these, three of each sex were in the House at the close of the year ; of the remainder, four died, two were sent to Canada in exchange for a Black Bear, Canadian Porcupines and Beavers, while two were sold, together with six of the 1915 cubs. The stock now stands at twenty — ten of each sex. The old Tigress, " Ranee," given by the Nizam of Hyderabad, died in October, but two handsome pairs of Tigers are left in the House. Un- fortunately, the Jaguars and three of the Leopards have died during the year, leaving only one Leopard to represent the larger spotted felines. Promises of gifts to replace these losses have been received, but it is feared that it may not be possible to import them while the war lasts. The Cheetah, given by Capt. Dobbs, died in February, to the grief of many admirers of such a friendly beast. The stock of Bears has been increased by a very fine Black male, received in exchange from the Riversdale Gardens, Toronto. Unhappily, several interesting and valuable animals in the Herbivore Houses have died during the year. The Eland bull succumbed in March, and the cow, kindly promised a year ago, and given in the spring by the Duke of Bedford, survived only until August. The Indian Antelope, after a long life in the Gardens, also died in August. As some compen- sation for these losses, a very handsome Zebu bull from Borneo, w4th two cows, were given by the Zoological Society of London ; shortly after arrival in June, one of the latter gave birth to a fine calf ; these beasts are kept in the paddock beyond the lake, where they show to great advantage. Another midsummer birth of much interest was that of a female Bison calf, v/hich is thriving ; in its early weeks, this calf's fur was of a bright red colour, but it has now assumed the dark coat of its parents. /\ Greek Boar from jMudros— -formerly a warship pet — is another noteworthy acquisition. Two pairs of Canadian Porcupines have been acquired during the year ; these are on view beneath the Haughton House ; a new Beaver from Toronto is another gratifying addition to the collection of Rodents. On the other hand, we deplore the loss of the pair of Capybaras, which tor 52 The Irish Naturalist. March, several years had been allowed much liberty around the lakes, and often provided an instructive spectacle to visitors as they swam or walked. A Great Ant-Eater was acquired in September ; it lived for some time liappily in the Monkey House, and its habits — especially at feeding time, when the long tongue came into play — were a source of much interest. Unfortunately, it died of enteritis in November. Dr. MacDowel Cosgrave (Hon. Treasurer) seconded the adoption of the Report and Accounts, which were unanimously passed. The Otficers and Council for 191 7 were then elected : — President, Sir Frederick Moore ; Hon. Treasurer, H. F. Stephens ; new members of Council, Col. C. Cane, J. IL Ceoghegan, and A. Maude. Sir F. Moore, the new President, then took the chair, and appealed to the members present for support in the varied activities of the Societ}*. Prof. J. Alfred Scott gave an account of some of the animals now and formerly in the Gardens, with an excellent set of photographic lantern- slides in illustration. Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, LL.D., of Aberdeen Univcrity, \\as unani- mousl}' elected an Honorary Member of the Society'. BELFAST NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB. December 19. — An address was delivered by A. Deane on " The Childhood of Art " as manifested in tlie works of the stone age of man. Professor Yapp occupied the chair. An animated discussion followed, in which Professor Yapp, Dr. Charlesworth, Mr. Cleland, and Mr. Milligan took part. January 16. — N, H. Foster read a paper on " The Mourne Mountains." The chair was occupied by the President (Major A. \i. Dwerryhouse). Mr. Foster said that theMourneMountains formed the most elevated land in Ulster, and covered an area of about 14 x 7 miles. They were in the main composed of a tough grey granite, but in several of the peaks the old Silurian rock had been lifted with the outflow and now capped the underlying granite. He then proceeded to describe some \\alks which could be undertaken, and in spealdng of the Castles of Comme- dagh— a wonderful natural feature — said it was strange that so few of Newcastle's visitors had ever viewed this wonderland, which was within two hours' walking of the town. In a granite area the flora and fauna were as a rule poor in number of species, but in the Mourne district several of our rarer plants were to be found. In speaking of the fauna he said that in the recesses of these mountains the Fox and the Badger still lurked, whilst the Pine Marten had been observed in Tollymore Park and in Donard dem.csne. Our only Irish reptile, the Viviparous Lizard, had been recorded from here. Of the birds frequenting the district ]VIr. Foster had many things to recount, including the capture at Greencastlc some years ago of a specimen of the Antarctic Sheathbill — unique in the northern hemisphere. The paper was illustrated by 60 lantern slides. iQi?- Notes. 53 NOTES. ZOOLOGY. Frojafs Spawning in Severe Weather. I must supplement the note I wrote last winter (vol. xx\-. p. j^i) on " Frogs spawning in January," by mentioning that during the present winter I saw no frog-spawn until February i-^th. On that day, examining three separate spawning pools — two of them half a mile apart— I found masses of the jelly-like substance in them all. The date is ten days later than the latest recorded in my previous note ; but as the country on Feb. 14th was still under a mantle of snow which had lain for a full calendar month the difterence is not greater than might have been expected. The present winter has been the severest experienced here for 36 years, and the snowfall of January 2Gth (which fell on ground already twelve days under snow) was the heaviest since that of January 17th, 1881. With the exception of one week — December 28th to January 3rd, inclusive (during which week I may add that Pipistrelles were flying numerously every night) — we have had uninterrupted cold weather since December loth, and it was only in the immediate neighbourhood of springs, even in the second week of February, that the Frogs cotdd spawn, the pools elsewhere being still under ice. It shows how inveterate is their habit of early spawning that they began when they did. C. B. Moffat. Bittern in Co. Tyrone. My friend, Mr. W. C. Wright, of Belfast, published in British Birds for January last that a Bittern {Botaiivus stellaris) shot near Coalisland, Co. Tyrone, on December 2nd, 1916, proved to be a female, with the feathers of the head and neck in a state of moult. The ovaries were in a diseased state and the stomach contained a perch nine inches long. I think the above of great interest to Irish ornithologists. W\ H. Workman. Belfast. Jays in County Dublin. Within the last few months a considerable number of Jays, about 30 birds, have appeared in the southern part of the county about Brittas, and are still located there. I am not aware that these birds have ever been observed in the locality before. G. C. May. Dubhn. 54 Tlie Irish Naturalist. March, Summer Migrants at Balbrig-gan in 1916. In March last year, 1 issued more than loo cards containing a hst of migrants with the probable dates of their arrival, hoping in this way to ascertain the range of some of the rarer species. There were manj' applications for these cards ; but I am sorry to sa}-, that I have received only one return from those to whom they were sent. It is remarkable, however, that it contains the names both of the Redstart and the Garden Warbler, which may be considered decidedly " Rarae Aves " in Ireland. I append the dates of my own observations here in iqt6. 1 Chiff-chaff April 2 Swallow ,, Willow Warbler Corncrake ,, Sand -Martin ,, Whimbrel 7 Cuckoo ,, 8 Whitethroat May 9 Grasshopper W^arbler ,, My observation of the Wheatear was extraordinarily late here last year. No observations of the Quail or Blackcap. Charles W. Benson. Bedford House, Balbriggan. 5 10. Swift •7 II Sandpiper 13 12 Common Tern ^4 13 Sedge Warbler 26 14 House ^Martin 27 15 Wheatear 28 16 Lesser Tern 2 17 Spotted Flycatcher 12 May 13 13 17 20 „ 26 27 .. 28 Waxwing in Co. Down. A Waxwing, Ampdis garrnlus, was shot here on ist February, and brought to me for identification. It was feeding on berries of Cotoneaster in a garden close to a dwellinghouse, and is said to have appeared very tame. Hillsborough, Co. Down. Nevin H. Foster. BOTANY. Trichia affinis. I am obliged to Mrs. Stelfox for her correction of my statement at the November meeting of the Dublin Microscopical Club that Trichia affinis had only been recorded from Leinster and Munstcr. \\. the time T was unaware of the records of the Clare Island Survey. Since that list was l^rinted, some good work has been done in extending the known range of the Mycetozoa in Ireland, not the least of which is to the credit of tlie writer of the correction. There is little doubt that a careful search in other localities will sliow that this specjcR is fairly well distributed throughout the country, Dublin. W. F. Gunn. 19 17- Noies. 55 Aquatic Fungi. Fungi which hve in or under water are rare. In the outlet of a httle lake on Brandon, in Kerry, at 2,000 feet elevation, in July, 1913, I found a small orange fungus growing on dead heather stems in three feet ot water, which was identified at Kew as Vihvissea truncoruni Fr. Next year (October, 191 4) the same plant turned up on dead heather in a foot of water in Lough Dan, Co. Wicklow ; and on the day following ]Miss Jane Stephens obtained further specimens, also on dead heather, in a foot of water in the outlet stream from Lough Tay. These specimens were ^•erified by ^liss Knowles. The species is rare in the British Isles ; and in Ireland, curiously enough, has been recorded previously only from these same two regions : — Hungry Hill, Co. Cork, 1,000 feet, on dead heather stems in boggy places (^Nl'Weeney in Irish Naturalist, ii. 227, 1S93), and " Powerscourt, recurring in the same place every spring (Pim) ; Slade Brook (M'Weeney)" — (Pim and M'Weeney, Irish Naturalist, ii., 259, 1893.) A commoner species of similar appearance and similar habitat is Mitrula phalloides Chev. {=^M. palndosa Fr.). It is recorded from Cloyne Valley, Co. Cork ; Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow ; Glencullen, Co. Dublin ; Slieve Donard and Hilltown, Co. Down, and near Belfast, Co. Antrim. I have a note of having obtained it over twenty years ago in Tollymore Park, Co. Down (named by Canon Lett), and in June of last year got good specimens on dead heather in several inches of water near the Hare's Gap, Mourne ^fountains ; ]\liss Knowles kindly identified it. R. Lloyd Praeger. Dubhn. Some Leitrim Fungi. At Dromahaire, Co. Leitrim, last October, we found an unfamiliar yellow spatula-shaped fungus on limestone pasture in some abundance ; and later under trees near the mouth of the Bonet River, on a space of a few square yards, we collected an unusual variety of interesting small fungi of the Clavaria and Geoglossum tj'pes. They were sent to Mr. A. D. Cotton of Kew, who kindl}' reported on them. The first-mentioned proved to be Spathnlaria clavata Sacc, rare in the British Isles, and with only one previous Irish station (Shankill, Co. Dublin : G. Pim). The others were as follows : — Clavaria Jumosa Pers., C. muscoides L., C. rugosa Bull., C. inaequalis Fl. Dan., C. unibrinella Sacc, Microglossuni viride Gill (=Miirnla viridis Karst.), Otidea grandis ]\Iassee, Thelephora spiculosa Fr. Of these, C. rugosa and C. inaequalis are on record from each of the four provinces of Ireland ; the other three Clavarias were only recently added to the Irish flora in the Clare Island Report ; C. umbrineUa is very rare in the British Isles. Microglossuni viride has been recorded from the Dublin district. For Otidea grandis (a rare species in our islands) the present appears to be the first Irish record. Regarding Thelephora spiculosa, the name is new to the British list, as is explained 56 The Irish Naturalisi. March., 1917. in the following note which has been kindly communicated hv ^liss Wakefield of the Kew Herbarium : — " This fungus is not uncommon in Britain, and has been previously recorded under the name Thelephora mollissinia , Pers. There has been much confusion as to nomenclature in connection with it, and probably T. mollissinia, Pers., T. penicillata (Pers.) and T. Crustacea, Schum. are synonyms of T. spicnlosa, Fr. The reasons for adopting the latter name are explained in a note which it is hoped will appear in the next number of the Transactions of the British Mycological Society. This plant is somewhat variable, but among British species is readily recognised by its habit. It grows on the ground, spreading over dead leaves wi decumbent or slightly ascending fan-like clusters of branches, or en- crusting the base of grasses and other small plants in the same way as Sehacina incrustans (Pers.) Tul. The slender cylindrical branches nto which the margin of the sporophore divides have conspicuous whitish fringed tips, from which character the specific name is derived." The only previous Irish record for Thelephora spicnlosa appears to be Rademon, Co. Down (Lett, as 5. moUissima). R. Lloyd Praeger. Dublin, Elymus arenarius on the North Bull. In his interesting note in last month's Irisii Xatiiralist on the appearance of Elymus arenarius on the North Bull Mr. Colgan places the probable date of its introduction after the closing of the Bull to the public in 191 4. I can, however, push back the date a few 3ears. In June, 1909, I gathered Elymus arenarius on the North Bull on the exact spot described by Mr. Colgan. The specimens are now in the Herbarium of the National Museum. My note-book says there were two patches. T looked for it again early in the following season, but unsuccessfully. However, in the autumn of that same year Miss M'Ardle (now Mrs. Patman) and I came across it again. Shortly afterwards Dr. Pethybridge independently found the grass and brought specimens to the Herbarium.. He also reported having seen only two clumps so that the colony seems to be on the increase as !Mr. Colgan records four patches. At the time I made some enquiries as to the probable source of origin, and amongst others I wrote to Mr. Campbell to ask if Elymus arenarius was grown in the gardens at St. Anne's ? I received a very interesting letter in replv, which I do not think I can do better than quote, since it supplies an explanation of the presence of the grass on the North Bull. ]Mr. Campbell says " with reference to Elymus arenarius I have not got it here, but I think I can tell you iiow it has appeai^ed on the North Bull. The late Mr. Burbidge for years before his death used to fill his pockets with all sorts of seeds whi^h he thought likely to grow there and on the cliffs at Howth. He told me so himself, and I have no doubt the above is the result." Matilda C. Knowles. National Museum. Dublin. April, 191 7. The Irish Naturalist . 57 SOME RECORDS FOR IRISH MYCETOZOA. BY MARGARET W. REA AND MARGARITA D. STELFOX. In her report on the M3\^etozoa of the Clare Island Survey, Miss G. Lister, F.L.S., included a list of all the species found in Ireland up to that date. Other papers have appeared since giving additional records for the Counties of Kerr\',' Sligo, Leitrim, Fermanagh and Cavan.^ As the result of gatherings made during the last two years we have been able to compile the following list which we think may be of interest to other workers. We have to thank Miss Lister for her extreme kindness in examining and identif3/ing practically all our material, and Messrs. E. Armstrong, A. M'l. Cleland, Nevin H. Foster, A. W. Stelfox, J. A. S. Stendall and Professor Yapp, for contributing specimens found by them. The following contractions are used for the names of county divisions : — AX., Antrim ; DO., Down ; MO., Monaghan ; XT., Xortli Tipperary ; TY., Tyrone ; WD., West Donegal. Thirteen species which have not been recorded previously from Ireland are marked with an asterisk. The letter R in brackets following any locality signifies that the specimen was collected by M. W. Rea, and S that the specimen was obtained by J\L D. Stelfox, or A. W. Stelfox. Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa Macbridc. AX. — Cammoney ; Colin Glen ; Ballycastle (R and S). DO. — Near Lisburn ; Holy wood ; Newcastle (R). Belvoir Park Belfast ; Bally magee ; Carngaver (S). :\IO.— Glaslough (R). TY.— Coalisland (R). WD. — Near Falcarragh (S). Badhamia utricularis Berkeley. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Near Lisburn ; Holy wood (R). Belvoir Park ; Carngaver (S). ^ Irish Naturalist, vol. xxiv., pp. 37-39, 1915. ^ Proceedings Belfast Nat, Field Club, 1914-1915, pp. 160-163. 58 The Irish Naturalist. April. * Badhamia foliicola Lister. DO.— Ballymagee (S). Saintfield (R). * B. nitens Berkeley. DO.— :Near Lisburn (R). B. panicea Ro.stafinski. DO.— Near I.isbiirn (R). * Physarum pulcherripes Peck. DO.— Rostrevor (R). P. psittacinum Ditmar. DO.— Belvoir Park (R). P. viride Persoon. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Holy wood (R). Leverogue near Drumbo ; Carngaver ; Bally- magee (S). The var. incanuui Lister has been found at Holywood in the Plasmodium stage. * P. galbeum Wingate. DO. — In a small glen one mile south of Bangor (S). P. nutans Persoon. AN. — Colin Glen; Ballycastle (R). Ballycastle ; Malone House, Belfast (S). DO. — Holywood ; Near Lisburn ; Newcastle (R). Hillsborough (N. II. Foster). Portavo ; Carngaver; Belvoir Park (S). The subsp. leucophaeitm Lister has been found throughout the district in many localities ; a form having the lime granules entirely absent has been collected at Portavo. i\IO.— Glaslough (R). TY.— Coalisland (K). P. compressum Albertini & de Schweinitz. DO.— Ballymagee (S). NT.— Nenagh (R). * I P. vernum Sommerfelt. DO. — Leverogue near Drumbo (S). About a dozen sporangia on moss growing on dead whins have been doubtfully referred by Miss Lister to this species, though she considers they may possibly be a dark-sporcd form of P. cinereum Persoon.] I9I7- I^i^A AND Stelfox. — Rccovds fov Ivhh Mycetozoa. 59 Fuligo septica Gmelin. AN.— Colin Glen (R). Carr's Glen (S). DC— Belvoir Park; Mol3'wood (R). Carngavcr ; Drunibo (S). MO.— Glaslough (R). Leocarpiis fragilis l^ostafinski. 1>0. — Carngavcr Woods near Bangor (R). Didymium difforme Duby. DO. — Near Lisburn (R). Ballymagee (S). * D. Clavus Rostafinski. DO. — Saintfield (R). Ballymagee; Leverogue (S). D. melanospermum Macbride. DO. — Carngaver near Bangor (S). D. nigripes Fries. DO.— Saintfield (R). Ballymagee (S.) The var. xanthopus Lister was also collected at Saintfield and near Lisburn (R). D. squamulosum Fries. AN. — Rungill Glen near Glenoe ; near Lough Naroon (S). DO. — Saintfield and near Lisburn (R). Ballywilliam ; near Donaghadee ; Ballymagee (S) . Mucilago spongiosa Morgan. DO.— Near Killough (J. A. S. Stendall). Stemonitis fusca Roth. AN. — Colin Glen ; Garron Tower (R). Lagan Valley ; Garron Tower (S). DO. — Hillsborough Park; near Lisburn. (R). Carngaver woods (S). Var. coiifliieHs Lister has been found in great abundance at Belmont near Belfast, and at Rostrevor, where var. flaccida Lister has also been collected (R). NT.— Nenagh (R). S. splendens Rostafinski. DO. — Carngaver woods (S). Var. Wehheri Lister occurred at Belvoir Park (R). Ya^T.Jlaccida Lister has been collected at Hillsborough, Belmont and Holy wood (R). 6o Tlic IrisJi Naturalist. April Stemonitis herbatica Peck. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Belmont (R). Carngaver (S.). S. tlavogenita Jahn. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO.— Belvoir Park; Holy wood (R). S. ferruginea Ehrenberg. AN.— Colin Glen (R). Garron Point (S). DO. — Belvoir Park; Holy wood ; near Lisburn (R). Portavo ; Carn- gaver woods (S). Comatricha nigra Schroeter. AN. — Colin Glen ; Ballycastle (R). Lagan Valley (S). DO. — Holy wood ; near Belfast; Rostrevor (R). Leverogue ; Carngaver woods ; Ballymagee (S) . The var. alia Lister has been collected in Belvoir Park and at Saintfield (R). TV.— Coahsland (R). C. laxa Rostdfinski. AN.— Ballycastle (R). DO. — Ballymagpc ; Carngaver woods (S). * C. elegans Lister. DO. — Belvoir Park (R). Carngaver woods (S). [C. pulchella Rostafinski. DO. — Carngaver Woods (S). The sporangia of the specimen collected were irregularly formed, ^liss Lister refers them doubtfully to C. pulchella var. gracilis Lister.] C. typhoides Rostafinski. AN.— Cohn Glen; Ballycastle (R). Lagan Valley (S). DO. — Hillsborough; Holywood (R). J->allyholme near Bangor; Carn- gaver woods (S). Specimens of the var. heterospora Rex have been obtained at Holywood (1^) and in Carngaver woods (S). MO.— Glaslough (R). NT.— Nenagh (R). Enerthenema papillatum Rostafinski. AN. — Ballycastle ; Colin Glen (R). DO. — Holywood (R). Leverogue; Ballymagee; Carngaver woods (S). iQiy. Rea and STRLYOX.—Reconh for IrisJi Mvciiozoci. 6i Lamproderma echinulatum Rostafinski. AN. — Lagan Valley near J3elfast (S). L. scintillans Morgan. DO.— Near Lisburn (R). L. columbinum Rostafinski. DO. — Carngavcr woods (S). * Brefeldia maxima Rostafinski. AN.^^NIalonc near Belfast (Professor R. H. Yapp). Cribraria argillacea Persoon. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Strickland's Glen near Bangor; Holywood (R). Clandeboye ; Carngaver woods (S). WD. — Near Falcarragh (S). C. aurantiaca Schrader. . AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — ^Bangor ; Holywood (R). Clandeboye; Carngaver woods (S). WD. — Near Falcarragh (S). Dictydiiim canceUatum Macbride. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Belvoir Park ; Holywood ; Roslrevor (R), Carngaver wood-i ; Drumbo (S). WD. — Near Falcarragh (S). * Licea minima Fries. DO.— Portavo near Donaghadee ; Carngaver woods (S). L. flexuosa Persoon. DO. —Comber (R). Carngaver woods (S). Tubifera ferruginosa Gmelin. AX. — Carnmoney near Belfast (R). DO.— Holywood ; Rostrevor (R). Enteridium olivaceum Ehrenberg. DO. — Baiiyniagee near Bangor (S). Relicularia Lycoperdon BuUard. AN.— Ballycastle (R). Glendun ; Lagan Valley (SL DO. — Near Lisburn ; Belvoir Park (R). Drumbo ; Balhmagee ; Bangor (S). 62 The Iri'ih Nahirali'^t. April, Lycogala epidendnim Fries. AN.— Colin Glen ; Ballycastle (R). Lagan Valley (S). DO. — Near Lisburn ; Bangor; Holywood (E^). Carngaver woods; Belvoir Park ; Hill.sborongh (S). TV.—Coalisland (R). Trichia affinis dc Bary. AN. — Colin Glen ; Carr's Glen (R). Mnrlough Bay ; Ballycastle ; Garron Point ; Lagan valley ; Glendun (S). DO. — Belvoir Park; Belmont (R). Hillsborough; Porta vo ; Carn- gaver woods (S). NT.— Nenagh (R). T. persimilis Karsten. AN. — Malone House near Belfast (S). DO. — Holywood (R). Porta vo ; Carngaver woods ; Bally magee (S). * T. scabra Rostafinski. DO.— Belvoir Park near Belfast (R). T. varia Persoon. AN.— Colin Glen (R). Lagan Valley (S). DO. — Belvoir Park ; Holywood (R). Belvoir Park ; Millisle ; Portavo ; Carngaver (S). * T. contorta Rostafinski. AN. — Glenoe near Larne (S). T. decipiens Macbride. AN. — Colin Glen ; Ballycastle (R). Garron Point ; Glenoe ; Lagan valley (S). DO. — Belvoir Park; Holywood (R). Hillsborough; Porta vo ; Carn- gaver woods ; Ballyinagee (S). MO.— Glaslough (R). WD.— Near Falcarragh (S). T. Botrytis Persoon. AN. — Colin Glen (K). Garron Point; Ballycastle ; Lagan valley (S). DO. — Comber; Belvoir Park; Holywood (R). Mourne Park near Kilkeel (Nevin H. Foster). Porta vo ; Carngaver woods ; Drumbo Glen (S). * Arcyria ferruginea Sauter. DO. — Near Donaghadee ; Porta vo ; Carngaver wfjods (S). The var. heterotrichia Torrend has been collected near Lisburn (R) and near Donaghadee (S). igi?- Rea and Stelfox. — Recovds for Irish Mycetozoa. 63 Arcyria cinerea Persoon. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Holy wood ; Hillsborough (R). Leverogue Glen ; Bally magee ; Carngaver woods (S). "^ A. pomiformis Rostafinski. AN.— Colin Glen (R). DO. — Bangor; near I.isburn (R). Near Donaghadee ; Ballymagee ; Cargaver woods (S). A. denudata Sheldon. AN.— Colin Glen (R). Lagan valley (S). DO. — Holywood ; Hillsborough (R). Portavo ; Clandeboye ; Carngaver woods ; Ballymagee (S). MO.— Glaslough (R). NT.— Nenagh (R). A. incarnata Persoon. AN.— CoHn Glen; Ballycastle (R). DO. — Near Lisburn ; Hillsborough; Belvoir Park (R). T.everogue ; Portavo ; Ballymagee ; Carngaver woods (S.) The var. fulgens Lister occurred at Belvoir Park (R). MO.— Glaslough (R). A. nutans Greville. AN.— Colin Glen ; Tiallycastle (R). Glendun (S). DO." — Near Lisburn ; Hillsborough ; Holywood (R). Belvedere near Drumbo ; Ballymagee ; Carngaver woods (S). Perichaena depressa Libert. DO.— Near Lisburn (R). P. corticalis Rostafinski. DO. — Saintfield ; near Lisburn (R). TY.— Coalisland (A. MT. Cleland). Margarita metallica Lister. DO. — Carngaver v,oods ; Leverogue (S). Prototrichia metallica Massee. AN. — Colin Glen (E. Armstrong). DO. — Leverogue ; Portavo ; Ballymagee (S.) As in some cases we have found those species, which are new to the Irish Hst, in only a few localities, it may not be 64 The Irish Naturalist. April, out of place to give a short account of some of their habitats, etc. Badhamia foliicola was first collected at Ballymagee where sporangia were found in groat profusion covering pieces of whin stick. INIuch rain had fallen during the first fortnight of August, 1915, and after a few days of fine weather specimens of several species were found on small pieces of sticks lying under whins which were growing on the tops of old earthen ditches. On examination, the sporangia were found to be externally typical of this species, though under the microscope the spores showed a tendency to cluster. Howe\-er, the colour of the spores was too pale brown for B. utricularis with which this species might be confused, and there was no leathery fungus in the neighbourhood on which the ])las- modium could have fed. The specimen procured at Saintfield was on a heap of straw lying under a hedge. The bright orange colour of the plasmodium attracted attention, and when some of it was brought indoors it matured into the grey iridescent sporangia in a couple of days. 7>. viiens. — On picking up a small much decayed twig in a plantation at Larchfield, near Lisburn, some typical sporangia of this species were discovered : the only ones which we have so far been fortunate enough to find. Physarum piOcherripes. — -While searching in a larch plantation in the grounds of Sir John Rojbs of Bladensburg at Rostrevor a stump attracted our attention, and here a number of the upright buff sporangia were collected. Miss Lister, when returning the specimens, remarked that the colour is less orange-red than usual, the stalks a darker broAvn, but the lime-knots show the typical form and red colour. This is the first British record for this species, and so far as ]\Iiss IJster knows is the lirst European .specimen obtained. Miss Lister also drew our attention to the fact that P. pulchevvipes is the earliest published name. " Peck afterwards pub- lished pulchripes, but we must abide by the first." P. galbenm. — A short distance south of Bangor there is a small glen filled for the most part with hazel scrub. Under some bushes a few specimens were found on small decaying stems of Rosa canina. The sporangia were quite typical in appearance, being bright yellow, erect and smooth. Under the microscope the dense network of yellow capilli- tium was clearly visible and the sporangium wall had a wrinkled l^ase which is not always so in this species. On account of the minute size of the sporangia they might easily be overlooked. Didymium Clavus. — The remarks made above concerning the finding of Badhomia foliicola at kJallymagee also apply to this species. The sporangia were quite typical and in good condition. The sporangia collected at the Leverogue were rather over-ripe. They occurred on small branches of dead bramble which were lying under some whin bushes. 1917- Re A AND Stelfox, — Records for Irish Mycetozoa. 65 Near Saintfield a small quantity was discovered on straw in an open field together with specimens of D. nignpes and D. sauamnlosum. Stemonitis splendens. — In the Clare Island Survey, Mycetozoa, pp. 16-17, Miss Lister notes that all the gatherings of this species so far recorded from Ireland belong to the var. Webhevi, the typical form not having been found in the British Isles. We have been fortunate enough to find the type and var. Webberi at Carngaver, while the var. flaccida proved common. Coniaiviclia elcgans seems to occur \ery locally. Specimens were collected at Carngaver in the months of August, September and January. All occurred on pine logs. The material procured there and in Belvoir Park was quite typical and could be referred with certainty to this species. The gathering obtained in September at Carngaver is interesting, as though the character of the branching of the columella and capillitium undoubtedly made it C. elegans, the pinkish lilac colour is quite unlike usual gatherings, and Miss Lister suggests it is almost worthy of being named a distinct variety. Brefeldia maxima.^T\\e plasmodium of this species was found on the stump of a lime-tree. Brought indoors, some difficulty was experienced in ripening it satisfactorily, as mould appeared in a few days. In con- sequence it had to be dried hurriedly, but, as Miss Lister remarked, the component sporangia stood up, showing their individuality better than they would in a perfectly mature specimen. Licea minima. — No British record of this species has been previously published, which is no doubt due to the fact that the sporangia are so minute in size that they may be easily overlooked in the field. Specimens were discovered by us on a piece of wood at Carngaver, while, simul- taneously Miss Lister identified some on a piece of wood we had sent with sporangia of Arcyria cinerea from Portavo. Trichia coniorta. — Sporangia were abundant on small twigs — principally ash— which were lying in heaps at the foot of Rungill Glen, Glenoe, in the month of December. Arcyria ferriiginea. — This easily recognised species is no doubt more common than our records would suggest. One specimen was found on a discarded gate-post lying partly under a hedge on the golf links at Donaghadee, while others were found in a small plantation and in woods. A . pomiformis. — It is a matter for surprise that no records have appeared for this species before this, as we found it to be fairly common on decaying branches and sticks lying among grass Ballymagee, Bangor. .. 66 The Irish Naturalist. April, USEFUL STUDIES FOR FIELD NATURALISTS. BY PROFESSOR GEO. H. CARPENTER, M.SC, M.R.I. A. (Presidential Address to the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, December 14, 1916.) It happened lately that I looked into a book well known to students of the history of Irish zoology — the Rev. John Keogh's " Zoologia Medicinalis Hibernica," published in 1739. This curious work illustrates well the connection, in pre-Linnean days, between systematic natural history and medical practice, so that botanical and zoological classifications arose largely as a necessary aid to the phj^sician. A sentence from Keogh's preface should find an echo in the minds of members of this Club : — " I think, there ought to be encouragement given, in order to improve and cultivate the three Branches of the Matey ia Medica, which are Botanologia , Zoologia, and Minevalogia, tJiey being so very useful for the Preservation of Health, I could heartily wish our Doctors took more notice of them in their Practice, then so many Patients would not expire under their hands." Perhaps, however, we may be thankful that the medical m^en of the present century- do not habitually follow Keogh's zoological prescriptions. It is interesting to an entomo- logist to learn that " the spirit extracted from Ants causes Magnanimity or Greatness of Mind," that " Butterflies reduced into Powder, and mixt with Honey cure Baldness, being externally applied," and that Caterpillars '' being burnt and put into the Nostrils stop bleeding." The Crane is now unfortunately unknown in Ireland except in our Zoological Gardens, but in Keogh's da3^s the bird would have been appropriate to an occasion like the present when members of a club are assembled to hear an address. The speaker might have been helped, because " a Broth made of the Flesh clears the Voice " ; he would not share his broth with the audience, but would let them know that the Gall " dropt into the Ears with oil of Amber, cures Deafness." T9I7- Carpenter.— ?7.s^//^/ Studies for Field Naturalists. 67 This evening the President cannot improve his voice or the members their powers of hearing with these appli- cations, but we can all recognize that Keogh's interest in zoology was largely utilitarian, and it may be instructive for us to trace the connection of some economic applications of natural history with the cultivation of the science for the sake of the interest and fascination which it has for us. People often talk and write of " pure " and " applied " science ; but as Huxley taught us long ago there are not two kinds of science but one. It ma^^ be desirable to enter a protest against two points of view both inimical to the advancement of science among our people : firstly, the supercilious outlook of some " pure scientists " who affect to believe that a discovery is somehovv^ degraded if it become useful to mankind ; and secondly, the intolerant attitude of some " practical men " who would discourage any line of research that cannot be clearly directed to an economic issue. As a matter of fact enquiries undertaken — like Keogh's — for the sake of miedicine or agriculture, often yield results of high theoretical importance, while there is no line of biological research that may not at some time contribute to the preservation of human health or to the advancement of human industry. The last twenty years have been noteworthy for a remark- able advance in our knowledge of the parasitic Protozoa, such as the Haemosporidia and the Haemoflagellata. The researches that led to these discoveries were undertaken bv medical men who worked at the life-histories of the protozoan parasites in order that they might be the better able to prevent or relieve disease in man and domestic animals. In such practical results the investigations have proved abundantly fruitful, but how impressive also has been the progress of zoological science associated with them, as illustrated for example by the elucidation of a true sexual reproduction among the Protozoa and of the adaptation of these minute parasites for a life in two alternate hosts — the vertebrate and the blood-sucking gnat or tick. Some time ago I gave before this Club an account of the progress made in an investigation into the life-history of the Ox Warble-flies — an investigation with a definitely 68 The Irish Naturalist. April, economic bearing. Yet it has well justified Prof. Miall's remark that the transformations of insects of agricultural importance are fully as interesting as those of any other insects. The first stage larva of Hypoderma^ with its relatively immense mouth-hooks and strong spiny arma- ture, adapted for boring through the skin of cattle, differs so markedly from the smootli second-stage maggot found in the gullet-wall that the life-history might be regarded as approaching the hypei metamorphosis that characterises some Coleoptera. In the latter order besides the oft-quoted cases of larval differentiation among the Meloidae it is well to recall the less marked but highly interesting instances afforded by the Bruchidae — a family of economic im- portance on account of the injury done by them to peas and beans. Here, as Riley and Howard have shown, ^ there is a first-stage larva, provided with legs and a pronotal spiny process, which bores its way through the pod and enters the developing seed within which the legless grubs of the later stages feed. During my previous Presidency of this Club, more than twenty years ago, my visit with some of the members to the Mitchelstown Cave led me first to take an interest in those lowly wingless insects, the springtails or Collembola, several blind species of which are included in our Irish cave fauna. At that time beyond a few observations there was nothing to show that the insects had an}/ economic importance, and the severely practical man might have thought that an entomologist, in devoting daj^s and months to their systematic study, was hopelessly wasting his time. During the present century, however, it has been found both in Ireland'^ and in Britain* that several kinds of Springtails are very harmful to roots and other imderground plant structures, to fallen fruit, and to fohage. It is reason- able to suppose that the comparatively sudden rise of the Collembola to importance as injurious insects is not due to '^See Carpenter and Hewitt, Irish Nat. vol. xxiii., 1914. PP- 214-221. and Sci. Proc, R. Dublin Soc, vol. xiv., igi^, pp. 268-290. ^Insect Life, vol. iv., 1892, pp. 297-302. ^Carpenter, Ecov. Proc, R. Dublin Soc, vol. i. (1904, pp. 251-3). *Theobold, " Report on Economic Entomology for 1910 " (pp. 111-127) 1917- Carpenter. — Useful Shidies for Field Naturalists. 69 want of observation in former years, but to an actual change in the mode of Ufe of the species observed. Thus the study of an obscure group of insects is found to have an unexpected economic bearing, and the behaviour of the creatures in relation to cultivated plants may give the naturalist an opportunity of noticing change of habit on a large scale — a fascinating line of enquiry from the biological point of view. In the case of one springtail, at any rate, such a change of habit has been certainly observed. Tobacco is a newly introduced crop in Ireland, raised entirely from seed, so that no insect-pests can have been introduced with it. In April, 1907, tobacco seedlings from Kilkenny were found to be covered with multitudes of dark greyish springtails, which proved on examination to belong to Isotoma tenella, a Finnish and North German species hitherto unrecognised in the British Islands.^ There can be no doubt that this scarce insect had suddenly increased in numbers through the introduction of a new crop which happened to afford a large and suitable food-supply. It is interesting to notice also that the tobacco grown in Ireland has attracted several of our common and always abundant farm-pests such as wireworms (Agriotes larvae), and caterpillars of the Cabbage Moth [Mamestra hrassicae) and of its ally il/. oleracea, as well as the familiar " surface caterpillars " of the Turnip Moth {Agrotis segetum). Many years ago I received from a Westmeath farm a number of root-eating beetle-larvae which none of my friends, specialists in the Coleoptera, were able to identify. In February, 1908, the same larvae turned up again — injurious to roots of oats and grasses in Co. Dublin. On this occasion I succeeded in rearing a beetle which proved to be the common Dascillus cervinus f then I learned that similar observations on the habits of the larva had been made in Denmark by Prof. J. E. V. Boas,^ and that some description of its structure had been given by Dr. C. J. ^See Irish Naturalist, vol. xvii., 1908 (pp. 174-6) and Econ. Proc. R. Dublin Soc, voi. i. (1908, pp. 574-6). ^Econ. Proc, R. Dublin Soc, vol. i. (1909, pp. 589-592). ^Tidsskift for Landbrugets Planteavl, vols. iii. x., 1896-1903. 70 TJic Irish Xafiii'alist. April, Galiaii.^ J he nuixilla of the DasciUus grub is strikingly like that of the adult, showing none of the secondary simplification in that appendage which characterises beetle- larvae as a rule. It seemed therefore that a detailed study of the jaws might be pioh table. The resTilt was the estab- lishment of the presence of maxillulae, comparable to those of the Apterygota and of ma^^fiy-larvae, in the larval Das- ciUus and also in the curious little woodlouse-like larva of the sub-aquatic Helodes which belongs to the same family.^ Here then was a discovery of some importance to the student of insect morphology made as a bye- product of an ordinary agricultural enquiry — another illustration of the beneficial action and reaction of the " pure " and the " applied " aspects of natural science. I have ventured to bring these rather discursive re- miniscences before the Club, because they illustrate how frequentl}^ studies which the naturalist pursues for the love of them ma^^ turn out to be useful in the economic sense ; how frequent 1}^ too a }^)iece of work undertaken for the sake of medicine or agriculture may lead the investigator into paths of high theoretical interest. From either point of view they may truly be hailed as " useful " studies for field naturalists. Royal College of Science, Dublin. IRISH SOCIETIES. DUBLIN MICROSCOPICAL CLUB. February 14. — The Club met at Leiuster House. X. Colgan, M.R.I. A. (President) exhibited a series of slides illustrating variation in the form of orchid seeds. The series included, along with the seeds of native orchids, those of many hybrids and exotic species which Sir Frederick Moore had kindly procured for the exhibitor from the famous orchid specialists, Messrs. Charlesworth and Messrs. Sander and Sons. Much variation in the percentage of perfect seeds was apparent in the specimens shown, some of the hybrids being perfectly fertile, while accepted .species showed either absolute infertility or a degree of fertility as low as 10 per cent. ^Trans. Eut. Sue, 1908, pp. 275-282, pi. vi. -Carpenter and MacDowell, Quart. Joiirn. Microsc. Sci., vol. Ivii., iyi2. PP- 373-396. 191 7- Irish Societies. 71 The most characteristic amongst the forms of seed-coat shown were those of Disa grandiflora and of an undetermined species collected in New Caledonia by the representative in New Guinea of Cambridge University. In this undetermined species the diaphanous, netted seed-coat was peculiarly attenuated, the length being more than ten times the breadth. Three out of the four New Caledonia orchids, of which mounted seed specimens were kindly lent by Messrs. Charlesworth, proved to be quite barren. They had evidently not been favoured with the insect visit necessary to ensure fertilisation. Sir F. W. Moore exhibited sections of two-year-old wood of Pyrus floribimda var. purpurea. In this variety the leaves are dark red in colour, and the bark is also very dark. The colouring matter is in the cells of the outer layers of the cortex, and in the medullary rays in the one-year-old wood. It does not extend to the cells of fibro- vascular bundles. In older parts of the stem and branches the coloured sap was more generally diffused through the tissues. Dr. G. H. Pethybridge exhibited the smut fungus Tilletia laevis Kiihn, obtained from a sample of seed wheat from Birr in King's County. Although " stinking smut " or " bunt " of wheat is not uncommon in Ireland this is the first time that T. laevis has been observed to be the cause of it here, T. tritici being much more common. The spores of T. laevis are quite smooth-walled and are not so spherical as those of T. tritici. The life histories of the two parasites are quite similar. NOTES. A new Science Club. In February the inaugural meeting was held of a new Club in Dublin whose special object is the discussion of biological problems in a wide sense. The meetings of the Club are intended to be of a very informal character, being devoted to open discussion of selected subjects, exhibits which involve some problem or some novelty, and occasional discourses on the present state of our knowledge in branches of science. Papers in the ordinary sense are barred. The membership is limited to 50, and only persons actually engaged in science research or science teaching are eligible. The affairs of the Club are controlled by a committee of three (for the present year Messrs. Southern, Hallissy and Praeger), and a chair- man is elected for each meeting. At the inaugural meeting on Feburary 5, after formal business, R. Southern opened a discussion on the geological and biological features of Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, and on March 5 Prof. R. A. S. Macalister brought forward the subject of the chronology of early man. The members who took part in the discussions which ensued included Profs. G. H. Carpenter, A. F. Dixon, A.Henry, J. A. M'Clelland, E. J. M'Weeney, E. A. Mettam, H. J. Seymour, and J. Wilson, Sir F. W. Moore, Drs. W. E. Adeney, F. E. Hackett, J. R. D. Holtby, G. H. Pethy- bridge and J. T. Wigham ; Messrs. X. Colgan, T. Hallissy, A. C. Forbes, J. de W. Hinch, R. LI. Praeger, W. B. Wright. 73 jTAj Irisli Satiiyalist. April, 191 7. BOTANY. Foxgloves Killed by Cold. An unexpected effect in my garden of the very cold February through which we this year passed has been the complete killing of numbers of healthy self-sown one-year-old plants of Foxgloves. I put it down to the fact that they were growing more in the open than they do in wild situations, but a recent visit to Aughrim in Co. Wicklow, showed that there Foxgloves had in many instances been killed even in partial shelter, while even on hedge-banks under trees all the larger leaves were dead, and only the heart displayed signs of life. This tenderness to cold would hardly be expected in a plant which ranges across Central Europe, and northward into Scandinavia. R. Lloyd Praeger. Dublin. ZOOLOGY. Unusual Flight of a Kingfisher. Some twelve months ago, near the River Dodder on the south side of Dublin, my wife and I heard a note which she identified as that of a Kingfisher, proceeding from a l>ird which was flying in wide sweeps so high over our heads as to be little more than a speck. After performing these evolutions for a while, uttering its note at intervals, the bird descended till it passed close to us, and its identitj^ as a Kingfisher was duly estab- lished. Several ornithologists of whom I enquired having said they have not observed such lofty flights on the part of a Kingfisher, undertaken apparently without specilic purpose, I venture to publish this obser- vation. R. Lloyd Praeger. Dublin. Night Heron near Dublin. In Easter week, igi6, a Night Heron {Nycticorax griseits) appeared at Bushy Park, Terenure, and remained till September. It was not at all wild, and could easily be watched with glasses. It generally perched by day on a willow tree close to the pond, but at night it was always moving about and flying round. Between 8 and 10 p.m. it generally fiew, uttering a peculiar note rather like the Common Heron, but yet quite distinct from the latter. It seemed a young bird, as the breast and back were mottled to a certain extent, the plumage being intermediate between that of the two mounted specimens in the National Museum. I am informed that the last occurrence of this bird was in 1882 in the Rathgar quarry, only a mile away. I'REDERicK W. Shaw. Bushy Park, Terenure. H < t-l > X tr. on H < :z; X \ ^' -Vf^. o o IS w o o I—* H < w K p w 73 C/3 O ■ 'y- May, 1917. The Irish Naturalist. 73 THE MUSCI AND HEPATICAE OF THE GLEN OF THE DOWNS, CO. WICKLOW. BY DAVID M'ARDLE. (plates I. II.) (Read before the Royal Irish Academy, January 8, 1917). The Cileii of the Downs Hes in the north-east corner of Co. Wicklow, five miles due south of Bray, and two and a half miles from the nearest sea at Greystones. It is a glacial " dry gap," a mile in length and about 400 feet in depth, cut through a low ridge, 'some 700 feet high, formed of the Cambrian slates of the neighbourhood. West of the glen at a distance of about a mile, the ground rises to over 1,200 feet. Some miles further west rise the high granite hills of the main Wicklow chain. The sides of the glen are steep, with large detached masses of rock resting in places on the slopes. The bottom has a gentle slope towards the south-east, and is occupied by an insignificant stream, and also by the main road from Dublin to the south. The glen is densely wooded, the trees selected evidently with a view to develop autumn tints, and the colours of the foliage are then worth going to see. Some very fine speci- mens of the Sessile-flowered Oak, with Pyrus Aucuparia, Alder, Larch and Abies, Pinus, Ash and Horse Chestnut occur. The conifers attain large dimensions. The Glen of the Downs has been better known as a pleasure resort than as the haunt of the cryptogamic botanist, previous records of Mosses or Liverw^orts from it being very few. This was the place selected by the members of the Dublin Microscopical Club for their annual excursion in June, 1911 ; the day was wet and stormy, and little collecting was done ; Messrs. Allen and Gimn agreed with me to return in more favourable weather and investigate the Musci and Hepatic ae ; we visited it in the following August, and the result of our collecting was so encouraging that we have paid several visits through the following years, 1912-13-14, always finding some Mosses or Hepaticae of 74 The Irish Naturalist. May, interest. In this way we have collected 8i species, varieties, and forms of Mosses, some of which are very rare. Hypnum cupressiforme var. minus Wils. is an addition to the Irish flora. Eleven (marked *) are new to Co. Wicklow, accord- ing to the list of the Mosses of Ireland, b}^ Canon Lett, 1915. Other species although previously recorded from Wicklow have not been found there for many years. I may instance Wehera cruda and W. albicans. Both were found at Lough Bray more than half a century ago ; it is interesting to have verified such old county records. In our work of collecting we found some of the mosses very attractive ; Hypnum cupressiforme var. iectorum grew both on rocks and on the trunks of trees, in dense velvety cushions of a dark olive-green colour, and the moist bank of a drain was covered with the bladder-moss Physcomilrium pyriforme, the dark red fruit-stalks contrasting with the green foliage. In the stream the water-moss Fontinalis anhpyretica flourished, and growing with it a form of Eurhynchium rusciforme attached to stones. I have not previously found this plant affecting a purely aquatic habit. On wet rocks we gathered Milde's var. fallax of Heterocladium Jieteropterum, very distinct-looking and much restricted in its distribution in Ireland. On peaty banks Tetraphis pellucida flourished, bearing gemmiferous cups and also fruit ; from copious material we were able to examine the curious frondiform protonema (Plate I fig. i) microphoto- graphed by Mr. Gunn ; on account of its fugacious habit it is rarely seen. On the branches of Alder and Oak Ulota crispa var. intermedia was plentiful, a rare plant in this part of Ireland. Orthotrichum Lyellii presents a good example of the asexual mode of reproduction in these curious plants ; in the micro - photograph by Mr. Gunn (Plate I lig. 2a), it will be observed that the leaves are furnished with reddish-brown genmiae. Of others belonging to this group which bear similar gemmae \^'e may mention Ulota phyllantha, which though widely Oi^^tributed in this country has only once been found in fruit ; ;n this, the upper portion of the leaves, notably the tips (jf the younger ones, bear copious brown gemmae, which arc a help in the identification of the plant ; it has oiily lyi;. M'Ardlk. — Byyuphyui of Glen of the Downs. 75 recently been found in fruit in the south of England and in several North American stations ; it grows luxuriantly at the highest limit of vegetation on Chimborazo, and frequently near sea-level in oiu" own country. Plagiothecium elegans we found growing in dense patches of a shining green colour, remarkably proliferous ; I have not previously found specimens of this moss showing the asexual mode of repro- duction so well as in this glen, and we were able to trace the various stages of growth to the leafy axis and shoots having root-hairs ; most of these adventitious shoots under favourable conditions become perfect plants which may bear the sexual mode of reproduction in their life-C3/cle. This mode of adventitious branching has been delineated by Mr. W. N. Allen in Plate II, drawn from specimens collected in the glen. We found on examination that these branches or ramuli are not always deciduous, but remain on the stem until it decays, and are then furnished with leaves and root-hairs and are enabled to carry on an in- dependent existence, nourished by the detritus of the parent plants, hence the moss is found growing in smooth close patches of neat strata. Leucohryum glauciim is common in this glen. The apical leaves often produce at their tips root-hairs and develop tufts of minute plants, which fall off and, nourished by the old decaying plants, flourish ; this goes on year after year until large masses are produced in which, when divided, the annual growths can be traced. These are a few familiar instances of mosses known to reproduce themselves by this curious mode of adventitious budding. We collected 35 species and varieties of Hepaticae or Scale-mosses, 6 of which are additions to Co. Wicklow. They have been checked off by MacVicar's " Census Catalogue of British Hepatics," 1905. As in the mosses, the additions are marked thus "^ ; Pearson's " Hepa^ ticae of the British Islands " has also been consulted. Among them we were fortunate in finding Pnonolobus Turncri (Hook.), on a sloping sand}/ bank in fruit, at about 700 feet. It is one of the rarest and most curious of the leafy group, possessing characters bordering on several sub-genera. 76 The Irish Naliinilist. May, The first notice of the plant in Ireland is in Hooker's " British Jungermanniae " (where there is an excellent figure and description at tab. 29) : — " Found on a shady bank of a mountain rivulet, near Bantry, Co. Cork, by Miss Hutchins." The date of Miss Hutchins' collecting would be about 1811. The plant was not refound in Ireland for sixty-two years, when Professor Lindberg of Helsingfors found a small quantity on a wet sandy bank at Cromaglaun, Killarney, in 1873 ; and now again it has been found by myself in a new station luxuriating in Co. Wicklow, in October, 1912, after an interval of thirty-nine years. In England it is rare, and has been reported from nine counties ; in Wales from Dolgelly ; also from Guernsey, France, the Canary Islands, N. Africa ; and I have speci- mens collected in the coast counties of California. We were also fortunate in finding Pedmophylhim inter- ruptum (Nees), which was not previously recorded from Co. Wicklow. It is sub-alpine and is found on the Ben Bulben range about Gleniff, Co. Leitrim ; also at Bally- vaughan, Co. Clare ; we were surprised to find it so low as about 300 feet above sea-level. The most remarkable instance of a rather alpine genus growing at a ver}^ low elevation which occurs in Ireland among the liverworts, is to be found in Clasmatocolea cuneifoUa (Hook.) (Plate III fig. 4), which grows near the summit of Brandon, Co. Kerry, at about 3,000 feet and also luxuriates in the valley near Tough Duff on damp rocks with Frullania Tamarisci at about 400 feet above sea level. I remember with what interest the late Dr. Spruce received these specimens, some of which I sent him when I first began to study these curious plants. In his splendid work on the Hepaticae of the Amazon and Andes, page 440, he refers to the plant : — " I cannot doubt that the Irish Junger- mania ctineifolia Hook. Brit. Jung., t. 64, hitherto known only from sterile specimens, is a true Clasmatocolea. Specimens gathered on Mt. Brandon by McArdle are so like the arcuate barren shoots of C. fragillima that until I com- pared them closely I thought them the same. The Irish plant like tlic Andine has both entire and bifid under- leaves." 191 7- M'Ardle. — Bryophyta of Glen of the Downs. 77 In our work of collecting we noted with interest the number of genera which grow together for their mutual support ; from one patch on the table of a dissecting micro- scope we found Frullania Tamarisci, Lophocolea cuspidata, Lepidozia reptans, Scapania nemorosa, S. gracilis, Diplo- phylliim albicans, Ccphalozia lumdaefolia, C. hiciispidata and a moss, Mnitim pimctatum. These were with difficulty separated, so closely were they interwoven. The curious cucullate or saccate lobules on the leaves of Frullania Tamarisci were unusually large and well developed in rock specimens in this glen. They hold water, and it is remark- able that in places where there is constant moisture, or water tricjding over the place where the plant grows, these water-holders become smaller ; when constantly sub- merged they become almost rudimentary. We found several specimens showing the asexual mode of reproduction by budding which is more frequently seen than in the mosses ; the subject has been fully discussed from my own observations in Irish Naturalist, Vol. IV., 'p. 81, pi. 3, 1895. My best thanks are due to Mr. H. N. Dixon of Northampton, whom I consulted in matters of doubt relating to mosses. These lists would not be so extensive were it not for the help rendered by Mr. W. F. Gunn, of Dublin. MUSCI. Tetraphis pellucida Hedwig. — Plentiful in fruit on turfy banks and on decayed wood up to 700 feet. Dissected capsules show the possible origin of the peristome, composed of four solid conical teeth, derived from the fission of the whole cellular tissue of the interior of the operculum or lid ; they mark a very primitive stage in that organ, so highly developed in other mosses. Plate I., Fig. i., shows a micro- photograph of the protonema with the frondiform leaves which appear on the first development of the moss stem. They are ovate-spathu- late from a narrow base ; at first they are often ligulate ; they disappear before the development of the moss stem is completed, and are rarely seen for this reason. Catharlnea undulata Web. & Mohr. — On shady clay banks up to 700 feet ; not common. 78 The Irish Naturalist. IMay, Polytrichum aloides Hcdwig. — On dry ditch banks; plcMitiful. P. urnigerum L. — On dry ditch banks ; frequent. P. gracile Dicks. — Peaty bank at 500 feet ; rare in this station. P. formosum Hedwig. — Dry banks in wood. P. commune L. — Wet boggy places and peaty banks. Ditrichum homomallum Hampe. — Clay and peaty banks among rocks at 700 feet ; rare. Dicranella heteroraalla Schp. — Clay and peaty banks ; very common. *D. Schreberi Schp. — Clay bank near a stream. D. varia Schp. — Clay and peaty banks ; frequent. Campylopus flexuosus Brid. — Peaty ground. A curious robust form. C. fragilis B. & S. — Peaty banks ; frequent. Dicranum scoparium Hedwig. — Rocks and decayed wood. Leucobryum glaucum Schp. — Turfy ground in large masses ; plentiful at 700 feet. Fissidens bryoides Hedwig. — Ditch banks ; plentiful. • F. taxifolius Hedwig. — Clay banks ; frequent. Ptychomitrium polyphyllum Furn. — Rocks at 700 feet ; plentiful. A curious depauperated form is found here with the setae and capsule very unlike the type. Tortula muralis Hedwig. — Roadside wall ; common. T. subulata Hedwig. — Roadside wall. T. laevipila Schwgr. — Trunks of trees and decayed wood. Barbula fallax Hedwig. — Peaty and clay banks ; frequent. B. convoluta Hedwig. — Clay banks at 700 feet. Var. sardoa B. & S. — Very rare. Ulota crispa Brid. — Trunks and branches of trees, frequent from 500 feet upwards. *Var. intermedia Schp. — The trunks and branches of trees up to 700 feet ; rare. This well-marked variety has previously been found in Ireland in Tyrone, Down, Mayo, and Antrim. Orthotriclium leiocarpum B. & S. — Lower branches of trees at the extreme ends ; frequent. 0. Lyellii Hook. & Tayl. — Trunks and branches of Oak at 700 feet. The leaves bristled with adventitious buds, some of which were well developed and branched ; these were known to the old bryologists as Conferva Ovthotrichi. Under favourable conditions they produce young plants with leafy stems, which in their further development may bear either male or female fruit, or revert again to the asexual mode and so carry on the life-history. The plant is rarely found fruiting. It is remarkable that this moss is in America almost always without the brown septate gemmae so characteristic of the British plant. (Plate I., fig. 2a). 0. affine Schrad. — Trunks of trees ; frequent. Var. fastigiatum Hubn. — Trunks of trees and stones by the stream ; rare. Physcomitrium pyriforme Brid. — Ditch banks ; plentiful. Funaria liygrometrica Sibth. — Ditch banks and burnt peaty ground. Webera cruda Schwgr. — Moist rocks at 700 feet ; very rare. Irish Xaturaltst, Vol. XX\'T.] 4: 5. rPLATE 11 : iU(U V l^^ I. Pl.AGIOTH£CiyM ELEGANS. To face p. 79. W. iV. Allen, del. 1917- M'Ardle. — Bryophyta of Glen of the Downs. 79 Webera albicans Schp. — Rare on clay banks of the stream, where it grows in l