266 The Irish Naturalists [Novembe 



The Southern Guide is in many respects a contrast to the Northern — 

 more rhetorical, more poetical, less business-like. Details of routes 

 and fares are given in connection with the Killarney and Kenmare 

 districts; but many towns are passed by with a mention of the objects of 

 interest, bright historical and poetical allusions, and no instructions how 

 the sights are to be seen. The rhetoric at times defies the laws of 

 physics, as when we are told (p. 70), that "the distant mountain of 

 Caherconree sees his regal head reflected in the sea." But no reader 

 can fail to catch the enthusiasm of the writer for the beautiful land he 

 describes, and it is not possible to praise too highly the reproduction of 

 the photographs which illustrate the book ; the clearness of detail even 

 in the smallest vignettes is admirable. Indeed the general appearance 

 of the pages is most pleasing. 



Like the Northern Guide, this also contains chapters on the botany 

 and geology of the district, but instead of entrusting these to specialists, 

 Mr. O'Mahony has compiled them himself. In the botanical chapter, 

 closely following the late A. G. More's paper in Guy's " Cork," he can be 

 charged wuth nothing worse than neglect of recent w^ork, as when he 

 states that Co. Cork is the only locality in Europe for Spiranthes Roman- 

 zoviaita. But in the geological chapter we are informed that " the epoch 

 of the greatest upheaval of the Alps," during which " the surface of 

 Ireland assumed its present appearance " occurred " before the close of 

 the Palaeozoic era, since Eocene and probably at the end of Miocene 

 times (!)" After this startling introduction, Mr. O'Mahony settles down 

 to follow Prof. Cole's recent articles on Irish geology published in 

 Knowledge, reproducing several of his maps and sections in illustration. 

 As in the Northern Guide, zoology is altogether neglected ; the Kerry 

 Slug and the Natterjack Toad will not be disturbed by the tourist who 

 relies on the present book for his knowledge of the natural features of 

 the country. How much light needs shedding on natural objects was 

 brought home to us the other day in^'the Railway Hotel at Killarney. 

 In a list of excursions, hung on the walls, visitors are gravely informed 

 that the Devil's Punch-bowl under Mangerton — a cirque hollowed out 

 of Old Red rocks — is " the crater of an extinct volcano ! " Perhaps the 

 authority for this is also responsible for the relegation of Eocene and 

 Miocene to the Palaeozoic era. May a new edition of Mr. OMahony's 

 guide soon appear with a less revolutionary classification of the rocks. 



G. H. C. 



