JOTTINGS OF A NATURALIST. 11 



of the Sweet Gale or Bog Myrtle, {Myrica Gale,) the soil being in general 

 especially fitted for its propagation. 



But the botanical feature of Killarney is the abundant growth of the Eoyal 

 or Flowering Fern, (Osmunda regalis,) whose peculiar and delicate green 

 everywhere fringes the lakes. It grows in the utmost profusion and luxuriance, 

 rearing its beautiful fronds and sori in every direction, and even forming a 

 distinctive feature in the foreground. It afiects damp and watery places, and 

 in gullies and the beds of bi-ooks its fronds attain a surprising magnitude. 

 While speaking of Ferns, I must not omit to refer to the Hare's-foot Fern, 

 (Trichomanes speciosum,) whose habitat is near the beautiful Tore waterfall. 

 This delicate little plant is peculiar to Ireland, and, except in one or two other 

 spots in the Green Isle, no specimen of it has been found in Great Britain. 

 In Newman's "British Ferns," full directions are given to the explorer as to 

 the exact locality of its growth, but as I had not that complicated path by 

 heart, I was fain to ask a guide to point it out to me. *^^Arrah then," 

 said the cunning fellow, ^^sure and it 's only one sowl of us knows where 

 ye '11 find the raal Fern, but if yer honour '11 pay the piper, sure he '11 fetch 

 yer honour a bit." 



Ross Island is well worth a visit. It is laid out as a beautiful garden — 

 a most delightful retreat — where the soft smooth turf, innumerable flowers, 

 shrubs, and trees vie with one another in rendering it enchanting. On one 

 of the grass-plots is an object of especial interest. It is a large boulder, about 

 sixty cubic feet of stone, as near as I can recollect, of a material perfectly 

 difierent from anything else that exists in the island, and which can only 

 be referred to the mountains on the other side of the lake, two or three miles 

 distant. There was a celebrated copper mine on this island, which commenced 

 working in 1804, and was so rich, that in four years eighty thousand pounds 

 worth of copper was extracted, but unfortunately at the end of that time 

 . the water found its way in, and so cfiectually stopped all further proceedings, 

 that it has never been worked since. The debris only is now seen, from 

 which small pieces of copper ore of great beauty are ferreted out by men, 

 who ofier them for sale for a trifle to passers by, but which tell a plain tale 

 of the richness of the vein. 



With a moderate degree of good fortune, the visitor will not be many days 

 at Killarney without seeing an Eagle soaring in his native air, an object so 

 interesting to an English naturalist. I had the luck to see him more than 

 once, although not under circumstances which sustained the opinion I had of 

 his valour. Two or three Mallards had just flown over my head, and when 

 they had passed some little distance, I perceived that an Eagle was among 

 them; but they were evidently annoying him, flying round and round him, 

 and harassing him, as small birds do an Owl when they get him into daylight. 

 But, nevertheless, in this country the Eagle ranges free and uncontrolled; and 

 a picturesque rock rising one thousand one hundred feet from the lake, is 

 still known as the Eagle's Nest, and is still pointed out as the eyrie of the 



