32 The Irish Naturalist. [February, 



ciently matured and established theories, derived from 

 continental palaeontology. Others of his views are hardly 

 tenable, as for instance where he supports his theory of the 

 lines of ancient arrival of our boreal species to Ireland by the 

 following remark : — " The northern animals and plants un- 

 doubtedly came across from Scotland, and in the County of 

 Londonderry, which part of modern Ireland they first touched, 

 they are still more common than in any other portion of the 

 countr}' " (p. 440, d siipra). The last portion of this statement 

 is unfortunately quite erroneous so far as plants are concerned. 

 In my Flora of Donegal I show that Derry has eight Highland, 

 Scottish and Intermediate type plants not in Donegal ; while 

 Donegal has eighteen (omitting Hieraeia) not in Derr3^ And 

 Derr}' would suffer perhaps equall}'- by a comparison with 

 Antrim. It is true that this is not a vital part of the 

 argument, but so far as I can gauge the intention, it is 

 supposed to have some effect. 



I do not think the editors of the Cybele have materially 

 benefited their cause. On page xlv., when .speaking of our 

 most ancient flora (as I believe it to be), that of the Highland 

 t3-pe, it is remarked that it may be regarded as having 

 maintained itself " chiefly along the western Atlantic sea- 

 board, where the climatic conditions were probably most 

 favourable during the last Glacial Period." This is a reason- 

 able assumption and may be correct, although I think it is 

 safer to suppose they followed the retreating ice from the 

 more southern latitudes, or the mountains of those latitudes, 

 to which they had been banished. But it is an accurate idea, 

 and is exactly what the very same species are doing at present 

 in North Greenland, along its coasts. 



But when we find on page 2 (speaking of the Cantabrian 

 Group), of " their survival in Ireland . . . throughout the Glacial 

 Period ... in some favoured spots along our western seaboard," 

 one begins to contemplate the assemblage of forms in these 

 favoured spots with the keenest interest and wonderment. 

 Here we have the very hardiest and the most delicate members 

 of our flora occupying identical situations, say at the foot of 

 the glacier or along the inner margin of the ice-foot, with the 

 most reckless disregard for their natural requirements. 



The question becomes hopelessly involved when regarded 

 from the geological point of view. It is better to let the plants 



