118 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 



great numbers close to the town of Cork, apparently attracted 

 by some fav^ourite food left by the falling tide. The ferns 

 I observed in the immediate neighbourhood of Cork, were 

 Lomaria spicant, rare ; Pteris aquilina, rare ; Polypodium 

 vulgare, very common, and numerous palmated varieties ; 

 Polystichum aculeatum, Lastrcea Filix-mas and Las. dilata- 

 ta, Athyrium Filix-foemina, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, 

 Aspl. Ruta-jnuraria, Aspl. Trichomanes, Scolopendrium vul- 

 gare, Ceterach officinarum, and Osmunda regalis ; and it 

 should be remarked that these were observable merely in 

 passing along the main thoroughfares, all of them except the 

 two first, growing on the walls of the gardens and shrubberies. 



From Cork I proceeded northwards, through Watergrass 

 Hill and Rathcormuck, to Fermoy. The river Blackwater 

 having, during the late inundation, swept away entire fields 

 of hay, a vast quantity had been arrested in its progress by 

 the bridge at Fermoy, and was now collected in large cocks 

 in the town, presenting a curious spectacle. Ceterach offici- 

 narum, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Aspl. Ruta-muraria, 

 and Aspl. Trlchomanes, and Scolopendrium vulgare, half-co- 

 vered the walls between Cork and Fermoy. The country 

 was apparently well farmed, but otherwise very uninteresting. 

 From Fermoy to Mitch elstown the country is not so well 

 farmed, still there is little, if any, out of cultivation. I tra- 

 velled this distance, and also from Mitchelstown to Sheely's 

 Inn, half way between that place and Cahir, by Bianconi, but 

 I found it a loss rather than a gain of time, for several bridges 

 had been totally destroyed, and temporary crossings of the 

 most ticklish description served as their substitutes, often 

 causing very tedious delays. The ferns which I observed by 

 the way, in addition to the five lately mentioned, were Lo- 

 maria spicant, Pteris aquilina, both rare, and requiring a 

 sharp look-out; Athyrium Filix-foemina, Lastrcea dilatata, 

 and Osmunda regalis, in the usual abundance. Sheely's Inn 

 is in the county of Tipperary, and midway between Mitchels- 

 town and Cahir. 



Long before I set foot in Ireland I had determined to visit 

 the caves at this spot. They are usually known as the King- 

 ston Caves, because situated on the property of Lord Kingston. 

 Crossing the road from Sheely's Inn, you proceed up a nar- 

 row lane for about a mile, two low roundish hills rising before 

 you, which are partially covered with a growth of shrubby 

 wood. In each of these hills is a cave : that to the right is 

 the cave of Sheheewrinky, and is also called the Old Cave, 

 having been known for a great number of years ; and that to 

 the left the Cave of Coolnagarranroe, being situated in the 



