276 The hish Nahcralist. November, 1,904. 



Arboreal Vegetatioju 



Bushes of Gorse {Ulex europcctts) and Willow {Salix cinerea 

 and 6*. cmrita) are the onl)^ native arboreal plants which catch 

 the eye of the casual observer. The first forms a fringe low 

 down on the drier slopes, between the farm-land and the heath 

 area. The latter may be seen forming low grey copses occa- 

 sionally in sheltered nooks, as nenr the roadside at Cashel. 

 In the western part of the island, three stunted Hollies, a 

 small Birch, and some dwarfed Mountain Ash, all growing a fev/ 

 feet high along the sheltered southern margin of Annagh 

 Lough, are the only trees that I saw. By the same lake there is 

 one plant oi Rosa ca?i2?ia,{hQ onl}^ Rose-bush seen on the island. 

 P. A^iCtLparia grows also occasionally on the western hills as a 

 prostrate plant among the heather, hugging the ground as 

 closely as its \\€\^^o\\.\ Jiinipci'us naiia. The extreme paucity 

 and dwarfed growth of the few native trees, as well as of other 

 vegetation, is certainly in part due to grazing animals, for on 

 the tiny islet in Loughannascaddy (the only lake-island on 

 Achill), where sheep cannot penetrate, Mountain Ash forms 

 a low but vigorous thicket, amid tall heather and R03 al Fern. 



Brambles, wliicii are very rare at the west end of the island, 

 become more frequent eastward, till near the Sound they form 

 luxuriant thickets by the roadsides. R. pidcherrivms ap- 

 pears to be the commonest form ; and about Dugort the rare 

 y?. f^^nVw^/^ is plentiful. R. plieatus forms extensive colonies 

 on the tops of fences here and there. The extreme paucity of 

 R. rtisticamis is noticeable. The list of R^ibi given below 

 certainly does not include more than half of those present on 

 the island. My visit was rather early for these plants, 

 although I remained until August 2 ; and, furthermore, the 

 extreme exposure so wrecks the flowering shoots as to render 

 identification very difficult ; on one or two forms, indeed, I 

 could find no trace of inflorescence whatever. 



About Dugort a good many trees have been intioduced, and 

 a few plants, such as Cardaviine Jlex7wsa^ take advantage 

 of their shelter. In the east of the island, near the Sound, 

 Glendarary House stands in a sheltered hollow. Conifers and 

 Rhododendrons have been planted herein quantity, and many 

 other trees as well ; these form some woods of a fair height. 



