264 The Irish Natitralist. [November, 



The morning train (save the mark !) conveyed Mr. O'Brien 

 and myself to Askeaton, a straggling village on a small tidal 

 stream with rocky limestone banks, and decorated with 

 beautiful ruins. The flora here is striking : many of the 

 plants are recorded in Mr. Stewart's report already referred to. 

 A conspicuous group of doubtful!}' native plants first arrests 

 the e3'e — Fccniculum^ Verbena, Malva sylvestris, Silybum ; 

 with them some native species, such as Salvia Verbcnaca and 

 Dipsacus. On the abbey ruins I was delighted to recognise 

 Ezcphrasia Salisbtcrgensis, hitherto in the British Isles on 

 record from Clare, Galwa}^ and Mayo onl}^, though I have it 

 also from Leitrim. Along the rocky banks of the river this 

 Kyebright appeared again abundantl)^, growing as usual in 

 dense clusters on bare patches of soil or on little eminences. 

 The river-banks were full of good plants, such as Corjins 

 sanguinca, Calamintha officinalis, Spiranthes autuninalis, 

 Allium vineale, Viola hirla, Gerajiinni colunibinum, Rubia, the 

 first four not in Mr. Stewart's list ; neither is Feshcca Myicros, 

 which grew on old walls with Oroba7iche Hederce. Papaver 

 hybridtun, growing on the roadside, furnished another addition 

 to the Limerick list. Mr. O'Brien next took me to MuUagh, 

 where there is a considerable area of bare limestone crag, 

 most tempting to the eye. A wet marsh which I waded here was 

 tenanted by Cladium, Jtmcus obiusijlorus, Ubicularia vulgaris 

 and minor, Potamogeto7i colorahis, and Chara polyacantha, most 

 of them wanted for Limerick. The flora of the crags proved 

 characteristic, though curiously restricted. The thickets 

 consisted chiefly of Hazel and Dogwood — no Buckthorn ; the 

 herbaceous flora of Viola hirla, Poterium Sanguisorba, Carli7ia 

 vulgaris, Euphrasia Salisb2irgensis, all in immense abundance. 

 On such ground it was most strange to see no Ger-anium 

 sangtiine^cm , Asperula cynanchica, Seslefia, or the other rarer 

 plants which one associates with the West of Ireland lime- 

 stones. Geraniicm columbinuyn w^as here again, unquestionably 

 native, and Rubies saxatilis. 



A nine-mile drive brought us finally to Curragh Chase, 

 where we were joined by Canon O'Brien. This ground was 

 visited also by Mr. Somerville last year, and ii will well stand 

 further working. We added to its flora Neollia Nidus-avis and 

 Carex Pseudo-cyperus, and in particular I was glad to find 

 Hypopithys Monoiropa, one of our rarest Irish plants, dis- 



