190 The Irish Naturalist. September 



condition of the island would appear to have changed very 

 little, and it was of considerable interest to discover in how 

 far the native flora might have suffered by the continuance of 

 human activities, or the introduced flora have altered or in- 

 creased by the same means. Just four hours were av^ailable 

 for the carrying out of this investigation, but I endeavoured 

 to make the most of them, and, perhaps, the sea-fog that 

 wrapped the island the whole time, by shutting out all dis- 

 tant views, and, indeed, everj'thing but the foreground, 

 tended to concentrate one's attention and to produce 

 intensive observation. Anyhow, the result was a larger list 

 than I had anticipated — 145 species, or exactly the same 

 number as noted by Mr. Barrii:gton. Of these, 123 are in 

 Mr. Barrington's list; he found 22 not seen by me, and I 22 

 not noted by him. Mr. Sylvanus Weir has since sent me a 

 few plants collected by him on the island on the same occa- 

 sion, among which are two further additions to Mr. Barring- 

 ton's list, namel}^ Molinia ccerulea and Koeleria cristata. 



For the benefit of those who have not by them Mr. Barring- 

 ton's paper, which describe the features of the island, it may 

 be said that the surface of Tor}' (which is nearly three miles 

 long by half a mile broad, the long axis running W.N.W.) 

 slopes from east to west, and from north to south, and is 

 exceedingly bare and wind-swept. Onl}^ a small portion is 

 under cultivation, and the barrenness of the remainder is 

 doubled by the practice of the islanders of cutting ever}' 

 available sod for fuel, a mere desert being the result. 



Very little change in the flora was discernible as compared 

 with its description in Barrington's paper- A few species — 

 notably Ramniciil2is Bavdotii, Ccrastium ietrandrum^ Spe?- 

 giilaria riipestris — appeared to have become more widespread 

 and commoner. Beta maritima was seen in a second station 

 — Portachalla. Lough Aher — now a mere succession of 

 boggy pools — was apparently not visited by Tory's previous 

 explorer; at least, it yielded a number of plants formerly 

 recorded only from the two other lakes of the island — Lough 

 Ahooey and Lough Ayes. To show the persistence of the 

 flora, it may be mentioned that Viola sylvatica^ Rosa spi7io- 

 sissivia, Hedira Helix, Solidago Virgain-ea, Athyrinni Filix- 

 fceinina, all in small quantity, and a single bush of Lo7ii- 

 cera F ericlymemivi , were seen at the Ram's Hollow, and there 



