t 173 i 



THE SEAGULL BOG, TUEEAMORE. 



BY R. WDYD PRAEGER, E-.E. 



By the kindness of the Rev. Canon Russell, of Geashill Rectory, 

 I had recently an opportunity of visiting a portion of the Bog 

 of Allen, including that bog, a few miles south of Tullamore, 

 which is celebrated as being one of the greatest breeding- 

 haunts of the Black-headed Gull (Lanes ridibundus, E.) in 

 Ireland — if, indeed, it is not the greatest. A morning train 

 on June 23rd speedily brought me to Geashill station, and a 

 rapid drive to the rectory, along a pine-fringed road, with bog 

 stretching away on either hand, only left time to note the 

 Bog Thistle {Carduus pratensis) filling a meadow by the railway 

 between Portarlington and Geashill, and the Rough Hawks- 

 beard {Crepis biennis) growing in abundance in the meadow 

 around the school-house in the little village ; I was informed 

 that it has been abundant in this meadow for some years. 

 This plant, probably in all cases originally introduced with 

 grass-seed, appears to be spreading in Ireland ; but it is still 

 local and rare. The forenoon was spent in Canon Russell's 

 company in exploring the bog lying between the rectory and 

 the railway. On the way thither I was pointed out a meadow 

 which is the only local habitat of the Bee Orchis (Op/irys 

 apifcrd), and here we obtained good specimens in full blossom. 

 Out on the bog the Marsh Andromeda {A. polifolid) was 

 abundant, as I was told it is on all the neighbouring bogs, 

 but its pretty pink bells were all already fallen ; in the wetter 

 portions, especially on the margins of pools, the beautiful 

 little Cranberry ( Vaccinium Oxycoccos) was in full blossom, 

 and the great tufts of soft green Sphagnum, covered with a 

 network of its wiry little stems with reflexed white-backed 

 leaves, and dotted all over with its pink flowers, were indeed 

 a sight to see. Here also grew two of the Sundews (Brosera 

 anglica and D. rohmdijolid), and other bog plants. On our 

 return to the rectory Arenaria trinervia was observed growing 

 close to the house. Early in the afternoon we started for 

 the "Seagull Bog," a pleasant drive of some miles along 

 roads with great hedges filled with the Dog Rose and Trailing 

 Rose (R. arvensis) and Honeysuckle and Guelder Rose in great 

 abundance. In more than one spot I observed the Alder 

 Buckthorn {Rhamnus Fmngula) which Canon Russell had 



