t899-] Praegkr. — A Botanist in the Central Plain. 89 



of the hills soon made itself felt in the appearance of Lastrea 

 Oreopteris, L. <zmula, Habe7iaria albida, Botrychium Lu?iaria — 

 also in torrents of rain. The valley narrows in the upper 

 part, forming a fine mountain glen, with steep sides scored 

 by ravines. Here several welcome mountain plants turned 

 up — the Welsh Poppy, in profuse flower, the Beech Fern, and 

 Wilson's Filmy Fern, the second new to District III. The 

 ascent of Arderin (1,733 feet), the highest point of Slieve 

 Bloom, was made in dense mist and driving rain. Listera 

 cordata was found in both Queen's and King's Counties, being 

 an addition to the flora of VII. I was glad to get down into 

 the glens on the King's County side, where Betula glutinosa, 

 unrecorded for VII., grew native. Thence a stream was 

 followed down to L,ongford, and I went along the northern 

 base of the mountains (noting Equisetum hyemale on the way) 

 to Kinnity, where a remarkably picturesque road led steeply 

 upward into the hills again, and back across the wide moors 

 of Slieve Bloom to Mountrath. The third day was spent 

 northward of Mountrath, where some interesting Cardmts 

 hybrids turned up, and E. hyemale again ; also Fcstuca Myuros 

 growing abundantly on a wall on the outskirts of the 

 town. 



Three days later I took up my head-quarters at Boyle, to 

 explore the group of lakes — L^ougli Key, I^ough Arrow, and 

 I/OUgh Gara— which lie around that town,. in the counties of 

 Roscommon and Sligo. This was done at Mr. Colgan's 

 suggestion, in answer to a question as to what region I could 

 most usefully examine for the purposes of the new Cybele. 

 My especial enquiry was directed towards the possible 

 occurrence in these head-waters of the Shannon of any of the 

 remarkable plants which characterize its lower course — 

 Inula salicina, Teucrium Scordium, Chara lomenlosa, &c I 

 may say at once not one of these was seen. The first day was 

 spent in a circumambulation of the lovely I^ough Key. The 

 best ground found was a mixture of swamp and wood at the 

 northern end, where grew Thalictrum flavum, Latliyrus 

 palustris, Myriophyllum verticil latum, Valeriana Mikanii, 

 Utricularia intermedia, Cladinm, Car ex acuta (new to IX.), C. 

 Jiliformis, and C. paludosa. Next day an early train was taken 



