I30 The Irish Naturalists [June, 



of this lovely species have not been successful, hut its 

 uncertaint}' of appearance is well known. 



The Cowslip is abundant here, and the onl}^ reason for 

 mentioning it is the occurrence of interesting colour-varieties, 

 varj'ing from pale primrose-yellow to the deepest crimson ; on 

 one occasion we found a h3'brid between the Cowslip and the 

 Primrose. 



Another plant of our field is the Adder's-tongue 

 {Ophioglossiim vulgatnm), which grows in profusion, and we 

 once found its rarer congener, the Moonwort {Botrjchiiim 

 Liniaria), in the adjoining grounds of Moreen. 



We have one rare grass native in the place, Poa nevwralis, 

 which grows on the edge of the tennis-ground, and also under 

 the trees ; another grass, Brachypodium sylvaticinn, has taken 

 possession of a rough bank near the stream, and with a native 

 Sedge, Car ex viilpina^ forms handsome tussocks along the 

 water's edge. The Great Hair}^ Willow-herb, Epilobitcm 

 hirsutinn, having been banished from the water, has revenged 

 itself by taking possession of the top of a dry bank adjoining, 

 where, strange to say, it flourishes exceedingl3^ Of other 

 native plants worth mentioning, the rare Ragweed, Scnccio 

 erticifoli^is (in Ireland practicall}^ confined to Count}- Dublin), 

 grows by the roadside outside our gate ; and the pretty 

 little Three- nerved Sandwort, Areiiai'ia triiiervia^ made its 

 appearance last year in the fern-garden. 



With less claim to be considered native, there is the Night- 

 flow^ering Catchfly iSilene noctiflo7'a), which appeared two 

 years in succession in one of the beds, but probably came 

 with other .seed. 



Natives at Delbrook are also the Wood-Sage {Teucrinm 

 Scorodonia)y the Creeping St. John's - wort {^Hyperieinu 

 h2iniif7(siim), and the Rest-Harrow {Ononis arvensis). 



To pass now to the British plants which we have cultivated, 

 we may begin once more with the beautiful Orchids. My 

 friend, Mr. Praeger, on his botanical exploration.s, has seldom 

 failed to return with some roots when they could be spared ; 

 and one of the greatCvSt treasures is Neotiiiea intacta, the Close- 

 flowered Orchid, though by no means as handsome as some 

 of the other species : its interest lies in its rarity, being, in 

 fact, only found, as regards the British Isles, on a limited area 

 in Clare and Galway. My plants were brought to me from 



