1909. Pkakgkk. — Irhh liau'k-ivccds a?id Pondivceds. 85 



plants were gathered at the sauie time and place and dried at the same time. 

 If a slip of memory or of the pen as to locality occurred, in which case 

 was it ? " 



That is a difficult question, but one or two points may be submitted, 

 Firstly, the existence of apparently only a single labelled specimen of the 

 supposed Lough Xeagh plant, as against several of the I.ough Corrib, tells 

 in favour of the latter. Next, INIoore's well-known work in the north-east 

 was done twenty years before he collected the plant on Lough Corrib, 

 nor does he seem to have subsequently vi.sited the scene of his former 

 labours. Unless he re-labelled the plants in later years, it is inconceivable 

 that a Lough Neagli specimen could inadvertently have been labelled 

 '• Lough Corrib," which he had as yet never visited, and with a date 

 twent}' years posterior to the date of writing. Again, the absence of all 

 reference to this important r,/OUgh Ncagh find in Cybck Hibcrnica or else- 

 where in Moore's writings is difficult to explain, if the specimen were 

 really gathered there — although, of course, he might have laid it aside 

 among unnamed specimens. Again, how did an apparently unique 

 Lough Xeagh specimen get into the Edinburgh Herbarium ? These and 

 otlier dislurl^ing (|ue.stions can easily be asked ; but the an.swer lies, 

 probably, not with further puzzling over the sheets, but with careful 

 examination of the localities. Mr. Fryer, in his last letter to me, makes 

 an urgent appeal for a careful search on Lough Corrib and Lough Neagh, 

 Will some of our botanists help.^ I myself shall do my best to visit both 

 lakes in the near future, but two heads— or three— are better than one. 



In the meantime, in view of the perplexing cloud of uncertainty that 

 envelops the whole question, and the chance that both the Lough Xeagh 

 and Lough Corrib records are correct, Mr. Fryer is of opinion that for 

 the present we cannot undertake to condemn either of the doubtful 

 stations. The last words of a series of letters, representing a troublesome 

 investigation, for which I feel deeply indebted to him, are, '• Finally, I 

 suggest keejMUg the three stations for the present." 



Xdtional Librarv of Ireland, 



NEWS GLEANINGS. 



Royal Zoological Society s Lectures. 



The concluding lecture of the series arranged by the Council of the 

 Ro5'al Zoological Society was delivered on March 24th, at Leinster 

 House, by the Rev. Canon F. F. Carmichael. LL-D. The subject 

 " Animals I have known," was dealt with in a manner delightful to 

 the crowded audience, which included His Excellency the Lord 

 Lieutenant. 



