NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 67 



are thickly sprinkled over the whole surface of the country, 

 except along the high cliffs by the sea. There was a great 

 deal of oats, wheat, rye, and potatoes, in small patches at- 

 tached to the cabins ; the wheat and rye in ear, the oats back- 

 ward, and potatoes not looking vigorous, the ground being 

 very conspicuous between the rows. 



Having crossed the estuary of the Shannon, I landed at 

 Tarbert, and proceeded by car to Listhowel over a flat, unin- 

 teresting, and unprofitable bog. Ballinruddery, the seat of 

 the Knight of Kerry, is to the left of the road, and the fine 

 wood of his demesne is the most pleasing object throughout 

 the journey, and is again seen to great advantage from the 

 bridge over the Feale, on leaving Listhowel for Tralee. The 

 bog appears to present no impediment to cultivation, and 

 why it is left in its present state is unaccountable. 



Leaving Listhowel the country continues for the most part 

 flat, and generally cultivated, but in a wretched manner. 

 Where the bog remained in its native state, it seemed to 

 be rather left for the sake of cutting turfs for burning, than 

 from any impediment it offered to the cultivator. The face 

 of the country abounds in ruins, some of them very fine ; and 

 a round tower of considerable height is visible to the right of 

 the road for nearly two hours. The road passes over the 

 shoulder of the Stack Hills, and then the view of the town 

 and bay of Tralee, with the fine hills beyond, bursts on the 

 traveller with great beauty. The principal ferns were Las- 

 ircea dilatata, Osmunda regalia, and near Tralee Scolopen- 

 drium vulgare and Polystichum aculeatum ; and choughs 

 and hooded crows the commonest birds. 



Leaving Tralee I ascended the hill south of the town, and 

 was delighted to find a lovely little plant which I had never 

 before seen growing, — Sibtliorpia eiiropma. On the hilly 

 land in Ireland you find deep and naiTow channels cut by 

 torrents of rain water after heavy showers, but, except imme- 

 diately after rain, perfectly dry. Spread over the banks, and 

 pendant in graceful festoons from the grassy margins of these 

 channels, I found the SihtJiorpia in the greatest profusion. — 

 With a degree of greediness equal to that of the sailor who 

 loaded his boat "with plunder from a wreck, till the boat and 

 the thief went down together, I cut up masses of soil covered 

 with this pretty plant, till 1 found myself quite unable to carry 

 them, and was compelled to relinquish them one after ano- 

 ther, and retained but a solitary specimen. I here found also, 

 in the greatest abundance, the dumetorum variety of LastrcBa 

 dilatata, and furnished myself with a good supply of roots : 

 my first package of this plant, forwarded from Newport and 



