226 The Irish Naturalist. October, 



very characteristic. Then for many miles I stumbled along 

 the rough ston}^ margin, which is only occasionally varied by a 

 muddy bay choked with masses of decaying Zostera. Late in 

 the afternoon, half a mile south of Killyleagh, at the mouth of 

 the estuary of the Quoile^ the grass once again put in an ap- 

 pearance ; first one plant, then further on a good colony, then 

 a large quantity, till from Moore's Point to Delamont, in the 

 Quoile estuary, it was the most conspicuous plant of the shore, 

 growing in grand erect tussocks a foot across and two feet 

 high, and thoroughly characteristic. I continued my explora- 

 tion as far up the Quoile as Ringmore Wood on the Finne- 

 brogue estate, but above Delamont the grass was not seen. A 

 tramp back into Killyleagh completed a long day's walk. 



On the third morning I sailed to the entrance channel of 

 the lough, and landed at Audley's Castle, and thence worked 

 along the southern shore, and up the south bank of the Quoile 

 into Downpatrick. For mile after mile the shore was hope- 

 lessly infested with cattle and sheep, and the herbage cropped 

 close. Under these circumstances a tiny islet (called Shone's 

 Island on the six-inch Ordnance map), untouched by beasts, 

 lying a quarter of a mile off shore east of Gore's Island, looked 

 most inviting, and clearly demanded exploration. In the 

 absence of other means of locomotion I swam to it, and was 

 well rewarded. The whole islet was in possession of luxuriant 

 G. Jestuccefor7nis^ excepting only a dry central knoll, where 

 Festuca ovina and Agropyroti repens were established. I 

 returned literally crowned with the rare grass, a bundle of 

 specimens being vSecurely lashed on the top of my head. 

 Thence into Downpatrick no further trace of the Glyceria was 

 seen ; but Agrimo7iia odorata was again seen several times 

 before the Steamboat Quay was reached. 



A few other plants found on this day may be worth noting. 

 Juncus glauais was frequent from Harry's Island westward. 

 A more interesting rush occurred with it along the raised 

 beach which fringes the shore, backed by a bold bluff of 

 Boulder-clay, east of Shark Island — namely /. diffusus, Hoppe. 

 This plant has in Ireland hitherto been recorded only from 

 Killakee Mountain, Co. Dublin. In its Strangford station it 

 occurs in some quantity, mixed with both its supposed 

 parents, J. glaucus and J. effusus. A peculiar Wheat-grass 

 which also occurred here, and elsewhere on this day's route, is 



