272 The Ii'ish Naturalist. November, 



are abundant. The weed flora decreases in variety westward. 

 Pot-herbs, garden weeds, and such like are very sparingly 

 represented. Tansy and Peppermint were seen about Cashel J 

 Goutweed and Alexanders, at the Colon}^ Dugort ; Tree- 

 Mallow flourishes near the bridge over the Sound. At the 

 same spot Scncbicra didyvia is long established, having been 

 first seen there by H. C. Hart in 1882; and it has recently 

 been joined by that amazing American colonist, Mat?'icaria 

 discoidea. 



Cottage roofs form the headquarters of the Atriplices, and 

 in the same situation Potentilla 7onne7itilla sometimes 

 monopolizes the thatch ^rom ridge to eave; but these plants, 

 with the exception of Atfiplex patula^ grow also far from the 

 cultivated areas. 



The Moorland. 



The vegetation of the bogland and moorland shows many 

 variants. The wettest swamps support an abundance of 

 Carex limosa, Hypericum elodes, Potatnogetoji poly g07iif otitis , 

 Mc7iya7ithes trifoliata, and the three Droseras. forming a close 

 floating felt. The best example of such a swamp occurs at 

 the north end of Keel lyOUgh ; here Carex pauiculata and 

 C. filiformis have their only Achill station, and Nyinphcea 

 alba grows in the felt as a terrestrial plant, with short-stalked 

 aerial leaves. Wherever the bogs are permanently water- 

 logged., Rhynchospora alba and Drosera iutermedia are charac- 

 teristic plants. So much for the morasses. About Mweelin 

 Lough the bog is very flat and wet, but solid, with a grassy 

 vegetation consisting of SchcB7ius, Moli7iia, Rhy7ichospo7'a alba, 

 and Narth€citu)i, among which grow the three Droseras, the 

 two common Hriophorums, Me7iya7if/ics, Erica TetraliXy and a 

 little stunted Calluiia and Myrica. Of the bogs which occup}- the 

 large areas of lowland, a veryconsidenible proportion has a sur- 

 face composed of almost bare peat, thickly studded with little 

 stools of vegetation. The bare floor is thinly colonized by 

 Cotton-grasses. The stools are close together, one to two feet 

 high, and occupied by Calluna, Moli7iia, and other common 

 heath plants. How far this humpy bog may be due to the 

 trampling of sheep and cattle, is a point on which I cannot 



