i899-J PRAEGKR. — A Botanist in the Central Plain. 95 



was in the canal, and in marshes near by a good characteristic 

 flora, including Carex terethiscula, paniculata, stricta, laevigata, 

 and paludosa. The bog yielded its unvarying complement— 

 Drosera a?iglica, Vacci?iium Oxycoccus, Andromeda, and Rhyn 

 chospora alba. As regards the formation of a county-list — my 

 sole object — the trip was not unfruitful. 294 species were 

 listed on the first day, and 42 additional on the second, 

 which, adding plants brought home for examination, gave a 

 list of about 350 species for two days' work. I doubt if 

 100 species are definitely on record for the county as I write. 



On June 18 I opened a pleasant and interesting ten-days' 



work in the Shannon basin. The first day was spent west and 



north-west of Athlone, in Roscommon. There is a good deal of 



gravel here, which yielded such plants as Papaver Ai'gemone, 



Arabis hirsuta, Ce?aslium teirandtum, Arenaria tenuifolia, 



Matricaria Chamomilla, Cardials pycnocephalus, Crepis taraxaci- 



folia, and Linaria viscida. On a small bog near by Rhyii- 



chospora fusca was abundant, and on bog- margins Op/irys 



apifera, Cladhim, Carexte retiuscula, and C Pseudo-cyperus. I 



struck the Shannon just where it widens into Lough Ree, and 



here came immediately on the characteristic flora of that 



great river — Lathyrus pahistris in beautiful flower and 



great abundance, Lastrea T/ielypteris (not included in 



Barrington and Vowell's Report on Lough Ree), Galium 



boreale, Epipactis pahistris, Tcucrium Scordium, Carex filifor- 



mis, C. st?icta, C. vesicaria, Chara tomentosa, &c Next day I 



took the Westmeath side, and w y orked along the margins of 



Coosan Lough and Killinure Lough, both being arms of Lough 



Ree, Lathyrus pahistris turned up again a little above 



Athlone, and in fields Lithospermum arvense and Galium 



erectum (new to VII.). The shores of Coosan Lough yielded 



very fine Lastrea Thelypteris, Galium uliginos7i?n, Hydrochaiis, 



Ciiuta, Chai'a io7nentosa, and. many other good plants. 



Killinure Lough proved less attractive, but here again were 



quantities of Lastrea Thelypteris, and all the other plants of 



Coosan Lough. I came back by an inland road, and on a bog 



near Twy Lough got plenty of Rhynchospora fusca, a valuable 



addition to the flora of District VII. This day supplied a list 



of 350 species for Westmeath. Next morning I joined Mr. 



