142 The Irish Naturalist. [June, 



atteution.'' And while the flora of the island is certainly 

 limited and poor, it appeared to me that at the proper season 

 interesting results might follow an examination of the 

 numerous low-level lakes, some of them brackish, and the 

 boggy or sandy swamps by w^hich they are surrounded. 



R. I^LOYD Praeger. 



National Library, Dublin. 



Sea-weeds. 



The fact that Achill is justly famed for the boldness and 

 beauty of its coast scenery might lead one to expect the 

 existence of a luxuriant marine flora, but this was not found 

 to be generally true. 



The weather during the first three days of our visit was 

 unfavourable for shore work, and dredging was altogether out 

 of the question. The first day was spent in collecting on the 

 western side of Keel strand opposite the village, but a spring 

 tide flowing caused most of the forms collected to be of the 

 nature of drifted specimens, and on that account they lost 

 some of their interest ; but judging from the species noticed, 

 I have no doubt a number of interesting forms occur below 

 low- water mark. 



Keem Cove, visited on April 9th, was even more disappoint- 

 ing ; here the cliffs are steep and rugged, and the principal 

 sea-weeds noticed were Cho7idrus crispus, Diimontza filiformis, 

 Chorda filtcm, and Pelvdia ca7ialiculata. 



On the north side of the island, two miles north-east of 

 Doogort, better collecting-ground existed in the form of rock- 

 pools, in some of which the well known Purple Sea-urchin, 

 Strongylocentrotus lividus, common to the west coast of 

 Ireland, was found burrowing into the hard rock. Lamina- 

 rians and the following forms were here growing luxuriantly — 

 Halidrys siliquosa, Phyllitis fascia^ Scytosiphon lomentarius, 

 Alaria esculenta, Dujtiontia, Laurencia sp., Halurus equisetifolia, 

 Furcellaria fastigiata. The following day, Tuesday, was the 

 first calm day, and taking advantage of it, I tried some 

 dredging along the coast for a mile west from Doogort 

 village. 



^ Hart : Report on the Flora of the Mountains of Mayo and Galway, 

 Proc. R.I.A., 2nd s., vol. iii,, No. 10, 1883, 



