30 The If ish Naturalist. Februar}' 



currence in other parts of the country. A large proportion of 

 the missing species were corticolous, which at once ex- 

 plains their absence, as Connemara is an almost treeless waste 

 from end to end and there is no suitable habitat for them to 

 grow on. I succeeded however in finding eight of these, 

 Pyrenula nitida, Ramalina fastigiata, R. evernioides, Par- 

 melia caperata, Lecanora pallescens, L. intumescens, Ope- 

 grapha hetulina and Pertusaria velata, in a small plantation 

 of young trees, chiefly Ash, Sycamore and Alder, w^hich 

 surrounds Cleggan House. The Ivy on the walls of the 

 house yielded three others — Physcia pulveruhnta, Lecanora 

 varia and Arthopyrenia cinereopniinosa ; and a very in- 

 teresting little group, belonging chiefly to the genus 

 Bacidia, was found on the dead stems in the centre of a 

 very fine Hydrangea bush in the garden, making in all 

 15 species. The other additions to the Connemara Lichens 

 are saxicolous forms with the exception of three species of 

 Cladonia. 



The rock of the Cleggan peninsula is chiefly a hard close- 

 grained gray quartzite which does not readily crack or 

 weather into rough surfaces that would retain moisture and 

 give a favourable surface for Lichens to grow on, so that on 

 the hill-side there did not seem to be the same luxuriant 

 Lichen-growth that was so noticeable in north Mayo about 

 Louisburgh and on Clare Island. This may have been 

 partly due to the dry hot summer. The Peltigeras were 

 very scarce and difficult to recognise amongst the parched 

 grass. Cladina sylvatica was frequent but not abundant, 

 occasional patches of Cladonia gracilis, C. coccifera, C. 

 pungens, &c., were noticed in bare spots amongst the heather, 

 Parmelia prolixa on the flat surfaces of the rocks, and 

 Parmelia ciliata on mossy stones. Of the saxicolous lichens, 

 Rhizocarpon geographicum and Lecidea rivulosa were perhaps 

 the most abundant species, and ranged from the top of the 

 hill to the shore, where side by side they covered boulders 

 that must have been frequently wetted by the sea. Some of 

 the patches of Rhizocarpon geographicum were stained a 

 beautiful pale blue colour and at first sight seemed to be 

 another species. When looked at under the microscope 

 the thallus of the stained portions was seen to be more or 



