1900. J Proceedings of Irish Societies. 231 



which has here its only Irish station. Thence the tow-path was followed 

 for six miles to Navau. The botany of the river banks was interesting. 

 The best find was Acorns Calamus, and among the other plants collected 

 were Thalictruni Jlavm/i , Ranunculus Lingua^ Stellariapalusiris, Rosa rubiginosa 

 (common), Cala/ninfha officinalis, Hydi-ocharis l\Iorsus-rana:, Carex acuta. Mr. 

 Welch photographed a magnificent clnmp of Alisma Plantago, The 

 weather on the whole was too dr}' for collecting moUnsca, but a shower 

 brought np, on the Iris by the riverside, ver}' large Succinea puh-is, some of 

 which had very deep, rich colouring. Later in the evening a new Irish 

 station was found for the very rare and local Helix hortensis, which 

 swarmed all over the gravestones in Ardbraccan churchyard. Planorbis 

 Jonianus of a rather large size was found in small pools close to the Boyne, 

 while Vahafa crista fa, so local in the north-east, was common ever)-- 

 where. In the evening the local objects of interest were visited, includ- 

 ing Mr. Fitzherbert's salmon hatcher}^ and Donaghmore round tower. 



Next morning train was taken to Oldcastle, whence the party drove 

 eastward and thoroughly explored Slieve-na-calliagh and its interesting 

 prehistoric burial 'chambers. Cystoplcris fragilis was gathered on one of 

 the earns, and a number of calcifuge plants noted. The drive was 

 resumed to Kells, where dinner was waiting. The evening was devoted 

 to inspecting the many antiquities of this interesting town, and a late 

 moonlight drive brought the party back to Navan. In Kells churchyard 

 Helix hortensis was again plentiful, more so than H. nemoralis, which 

 swarmed in the other damp localities visited. 



On the third day cars were taken to Trim. The enormous bushes of 

 Rosa arvensis in full bloom in the roadside hedges excited much admiration. 

 Rain commenced to fall at Trim, but did not prevent full justice being 

 done to the fine old castle, the " yellow steeple " (near which the snails 

 Helix virgata and H. acuta abounded) and other famous remains of this 

 historic town. The Rev. Canon Norman, who was with the part}^ stated 

 that he never knew Helix acuta to occur inland in England. In Ireland 

 it rarely does so, and only on the central limestone plain. In the 

 evening the Belfast members left for the north, followed a couple of 

 hours later by the Dublin contingent. 



Myriads of the " Meadow Brown " butterfly {Epinephile janira) were 

 observed rising from the bramble-bushes in the overgrown hedges 

 ])etween Slane and Newgrange in an extension trip made by some of the 

 members. Fifty or more would rise as the car passed from an area only 

 5 to 10 feet square, and this abundance of the species was noticed for 

 miles along the narrow roads near Newgrange and Dublin. 



