64 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 



cations, all relating the marvels of this observation, and all 

 bringing forward the determination of the skilful Italian, as 

 beyond appeal. Nevertheless, many other naturalists of ac- 

 knowledged talent, and we must quote M. de Blainville as 

 among the first, would not allow themselves to be convinced 

 by hearsay, but wished to verify the fact ; but neither M. de 

 Blainville, nor Sir Everard Home, nor M, Bauer, saw what 

 had been announced. Still further, Madame Power, a disci- 

 ple of the celebrated Poli, of whom we have already spoken 

 in reference to her striking observations upon the poulp of 

 the argonaut, and who is one of the most enlightened defend- 

 ers of non-parasitism, now gives a formal contradiction to her 

 master, declaring that there is no appearance of a shell in the 

 ova of the poulp ; and she then concocts a very ingenious lit- 

 tle system, which can however do no prejudice to the cause 

 of non-parasitism, and shows how the shell may be formed 

 after the birth of the mollusc. 



As for ourselves, we also have been very curious to verify 

 Poli's observations. AVe have tried at different times, some- 

 times upon eggs which were preserved in alcohol, sometimes 

 upon those we had taken quite fresh from the sea, and which 

 had, without doubt, arrived at di fferent degrees of maturity ; 

 and after all we never found anything but the nucleus which 

 may be observed in eggs in general. 



Thus the strongest argument brought forward by the parti- 

 sans of non-parasitism, must evidently give way before these 

 reiterated observations. 



( To he continued). 



Art. III. — Notes on Irish JVatural History, more especially Ferns. 

 By Edward Newman, Esq., F.L.S., &c. 



{Continued from -page 23.) 



KiLKEE stands in a little semicircular bay, which, having a 

 bar of rock across its mouth, affords no shelter for shipping ; 

 indeed, nothing can be more forbidding to the seaman than 

 the west coast of Clare, From the Hag's Head or Mohir on 

 the north, to Louphead on the south, it consists of black, 

 precipitous, slate cliffs, against which the restless Atlantic 

 frets itself into a perpetual foam. The whole line of coast, 

 in extent about forty miles, is called Malbay ; and through- 

 out the entire distance there is not a single place of safety for 



