Calendar of Nature in England for 1830. 



167 



Art. IV. Natural History in Tret'anSt, 



Belfast Museum. —The foundation of this building was laid by the 

 Members of the Natural History Society of Belfast, on the 4th of May 

 last. A full account of the ceremony is recorded in the Belfast Chronicle 

 of May the 5th, 1830. 



Enm mediterrdnea. — In an excursion I made to Cunnemara, a wild dis- 

 trict of the county of Galway, on the western coast of Ireland, in October, 

 1830, I discovered a species of heath (jErica mediterranea) not known be- 

 fore as being indigenous to Britain or Ireland. It grows on a declivity by 

 a stream in boggy ground at the foot of Urrisbeg Mountain, near Round- 

 stone, on its western side, occupying a space of above half a mile in length, 

 and covering between two and three acres of ground. The Mediterranean 

 heath is also indigenous to Portugal, whence it appears to have been first 

 introduced into oiu* gardens, and it is the principal heath of Corsica. In 

 gardens it forms a handsome shrub, from 3 to 5 ft. high, and is very orna- 

 mental in spring, when in flower. 



The Menzies2« joolifolia (jErica Dabeoci Lin.), it may be mentioned, is 

 very abundant on the sides of mountains and dry heaths all over Cunne- 

 mara, and in Mayo, as far north as the mountain called Croagh Patrick -; and, 

 although nowhere else found in Britain or Ireland, is, as well as the other, 

 indigenous to the south of Europe, being found on the western Pyrenees, 

 and at Anjou. A variety of this last, with white flowers, of which I have 

 ^ living specimen in the college botanic garden, has lately been found 

 -sparingly growing along with the common variety. It is remarkable that 

 two such interesting plants, indigenous to the south of Europe, should be 

 found in so remote a corner of our island, I am, Sir, &c.—J. T. Mackay^ 

 Assistant Botanisty Trinity College ^ Dublin^ and Curator of the College Botanic 

 Garden. College Botanic Garden, Dublin^ Jan. 17 . 1831. : 



Art. V. Calendar of Nature in England for 1830. 



Journal of the Weather kept at High Wycombe, Bucks, Lat, 51° 37' 44'' 

 North, Long. 34' 45" West, during the Year 1830, with Monthly Ob- 

 servations. By James G. Tatem, Esq., Member of the London Meteo- 



.^^j-ological Society. 



'"' Table of the Thermometer and Barometer. 



M 4 



