The Icela7id and Glmccous Gtclls ifi Irdajid. 133 



gulls (previously seen) feeding along the edge of the water, 

 as they always do on a lee shore during a gale of wind. On 

 reaching the sands I saw a large number of gulls, probably 

 over a hundred, flocking into the little bay near the bath- 

 house, where the wind and tide had drifted some floating 

 food, and where it was retained by the edd3-tide. The gulls, 

 crowding into such a small space, raised a tremendous row, 

 screaming and fighting as they circled round, dipping into 

 the water, and after a short time I observed in the midst of 

 the crowd three Icelanders, easily recognised b}^ their graceful 

 flight, and creamy-coloured plumage; and as these birds flew 

 along the edge oif the water, passing close b}^ me, I got a shot 

 at one, knocking it down with a wire cartridge from my old 

 muzzle-loader, but I lost the other two by forgetting to bring 

 with me some more wire cartridges, or large shot, for although 

 I got a shot at each, they got away wounded, for the No. 5 shot 

 with which I had loaded, was too light to be effective at long 

 range on birds so densely clothed with such a thick coat of 

 feathers as the breast and under parts of these arctic gulls 

 usually are. The bird shot was a very fine specimen in the 

 second year's plumage, and its two companions appeared to 

 be in the same. 



(TO BE CONTINUED.) 



THE PLANTS OF DARKEY ISLAND. 



BY DAVID M'ARDI^E;. 



The excursion of the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club to Dalkey 

 Sound and Island was full of interest to botanists. The island, 

 which is on the south side of Dublin Bay, comprises an area of 

 twenty-two acres, and is distant about a quarter of a mile from 

 the mainland. The ruins of a chapel, stated to have been 

 dedicated to St. Benedict, are interesting ; the walls, built of 

 very rough material, are still extant. The island is uninha- 

 bited ; a few cattle in prime condition show the excellence of 

 the pasture; ''they are forced to swim over, and to swim back 

 again," as the boatman informed us. The place is also con- 

 sidered good pasturage for sheep, and their flesh is said to 

 acquire a peculiarly fine flavour. The geological formation is 

 granite, in the crevices of which grow mau}^ interesting plants. 

 The following were collected by m3'self and the President 

 (Dr. McWeeney) : — Armeria maritima, Aster tripolmm, Atri- 

 plex patitla, var., Glaux 7naritima, Erica ci7ierea, Plantago 

 niarithna, P. coro7iop2is, Sagina apetala, Samolus vale7'a?idi, 

 Spei'-gularia rupestris, Sileiie 7nariti7iia. The Samphire, C7'ith- 

 VIU771 7)iaritii)iu77i, w^as in full bloom amongst the rocks ; it 

 belongs to the U77ibellife7'cs, and is more or less plentiful on the 

 coasts of Europe. This is the plant alluded to by Shakespeare 

 in Ki7ig Lear, Act iv , sc. 6 : 



B^ 



