102 The Irish Naturalist . October^ 



east coast gardens shelter from the west is a problem of 

 first importance, the sea winds from the east being an 

 insignificant factor in comparison. The mighty Atlantic 

 spreads its hand far over our islands : even on the eastward 

 slope of the Pennine chain in England the eastward stoop 

 of the trees is noticeable. In Switzerland, whether on 

 hills or plains, this effect does not make itself felt or notice- 

 able. One sees it, it is true, in the deep valley of the Rhone 

 before it debouches into the Lake of Geneva ; but there 

 the valley runs N.W. and S.E., and the proxim'ty of the 

 great sheet of water enhances an effect that might not 

 otherwise attract notice. Generally, on both hill and plain, 

 on all aspects, the trees grow taller and stra'ghter than we 

 find in Ireland save in the most sheltered places, and this 

 continues often up to 5,000 or even 6,000 feet. 



As a final point of comparison, the lakes may be 

 mentioned. The rivers from which the Swiss lakes derive 

 their supplies are mostly either of wonderfully clear green 

 water or of " gletscher milch " the milky grey water that 

 tells of a source below a glacier. The river Inn, thus fed 

 from the snows, colours the whole " blue Danube " in this 

 way from its junction downwards, so that even at Vienna 

 it is like grey soup. The lakes are effected by these two 

 sources of suppty, some being much clearer than others : 

 many have an amazing blue or green clearness, quite 

 unknown in Ireland, and none have the brown peat-derived 

 colour of most of the Irish lakes. As regards their flora, 

 here at last is a case where Ireland can hold her own against 

 Switzerland. The rich aquatic vegetation of Irish rivers 

 and lakes seems to exceed in quantity and in variety often 

 to equal, that of the Swiss waters. The Swiss lakes are 

 mostly deep with steep shores. Running along their 

 margins in the train, one looks down into wonderfully 

 clear water ; fish one sees in abundance, but often hardly 

 a plant ; in shallower sheltered waters vegetation is much 

 richer, but I saw nowhere (of course m}^ observations were 

 very hmited) the equal of the subaquatic groves of some 

 of our Ir'sh waters. In variety too, our water-plants can 

 hold their own. Of pondweeds, for instance, we have as 

 many as Switzerland. The same seems to apply as regards 



