1 88 The Irish Naturalist. Nov. Dec, 191 7. 



and in two spots the rare Sea Wormood [Artemisia maritima), recorded 

 for this station nearly a century ago, was found still in full possession. 

 The return to Donabate was made across the Burrow and by field-tracks 

 and a lane where Corniis sanguinea, very rare in the county, was noticed 

 growing in the hedges. 



Though the rain held off during the latter half of the excursion the 

 sun was veiled and butterflies and moths were absent. As the party 

 crossed the sandy pastures of the Burrow, where the Felwort (Gentiana 

 Amarclla) was frequent, a fine three-inch caterpillar of the Oak Eggar 

 Moth was seen travelling over the wet grass. The return to Dublin was 

 made by the 6. 11 p.m. train. 



October 13. — Excursion to Lucan and Leixlip. — Favoured by 

 perfect autumnal weather a party of fifteen assembled at Parkgate Street 

 and travelled to the Spa Hotel by the mid-day tram. Here the Lucan 

 demesne was entered and the Liffey, thanks to recent rainfalls round its 

 head waters at Kippure, was found to be in perfect condition for the 

 lover of river scenery. 



The stately trees which line the walk of the river bank immediately 

 attracted attention as the party made its way up stream. A halt was 

 made opposite to the finest Beech in the demesne. This great Beech, 

 which in 1904 gave a girth of 16 feet 3 inches at a height of five feet from 

 the ground, was now^ found to measure 17 feet 6 inches, an increment of 

 almost 5 inches of diameter in 13 years. A fine Larch close by gave a 

 girth of 12 feet 6 inches, and a Silver Fir of 10 feet 3 inches, both measured 

 at a height of five feet from the ground. It would be of interest to know 

 whether these dimensions are exceeded elsewhere in Co. Dublin, where 

 no doubt, many fine trees which have never been measured lie hidden away 

 in private grounds. Among the trees worth measuring are the Spanish 

 Chestnut, the Sycamore, the Walnut, and the Horse Chestnut. The 

 last named of these attains to a girth of a little over thirteen feet at 

 Ballinclea near Killiney, and offers one of many instances which serve 

 to show that, in Co. Dublin, at least, the largest tree growths are to be 

 found amongst our alien species. 



Though the season was rather far advanced for botanizing the 

 Columbine, established here for more than 170 years, was discovered in 

 a gorse spinney along the track from Leixlip Bridge to the Salmon Leap 

 and close by a fine Spindlo-trec laden with coral fruit lit up the dark 

 copse with a splash of colour. Ten minutes were spent at the Salmon 

 Leap, which was in fine form, and then hurrying down stream the party 

 reached the old-world village of Leixlip soon after three o'clock. Here 

 there was time to examine the church where a 17th century fioor-slab 

 marks the tomb of a sister of Narcissus Marsh, Archbishop of Dublin 

 and founder of Marsh's Library. The Rector, Canon R. N. Somerville, 

 kindly acted as archaeological demonstrator, and piloted the party to 

 the top of the old tower whence a spacious view was had of the Liffey 

 woods and the Rye Water. The battlements of the tower were found 

 tp be thickly cl^d with that pretty alien, the Ivy-lesived Toad-flax, 



