n6 The Irish Natiiralist. March, 



northern and western coasts, where the maritime flora pre- 

 vails. The heath is general^ rocky, dry, and very grassy, 

 and often presents delightful natural gardens, brilliant with 

 Poly gala dcpressa, Anthyllis Vulne?aria, Ttifolium pj-atense, 

 Lotus corniculatus, Galium verum, Jasione montana, Euphrasia 

 officinalis. Thymus Serpyllum, and Orchis mamlata. Other 

 abundant plants are Viola Riviniana, Lathyrus macrorrhiziis, 

 Hypochceris radicata, Calluna vulgaris, Eiica cinerca, Plantago 

 maritima, P. Coronopus. The most conspicuous grasses are 

 Festuca ovina, Agrostis vulgaris, Aira prcecox, A. caryophyllea, 

 Kcelcria cristata, Triodia decumbens, Anthoxanthum odoratum. 

 Where rocks crop out, Saxifraga timbrosa and Sedtim anglicum 

 are abundant: and hardly a chink of a vertical rock-face any- 

 where on the island is without Aspleiiium marinum. Where 

 the heath becomes wetter, Ranuncuhis Flammula, Hyperiaim 

 elodes, A?iagalllis tenella, Potamogcton polygonijo litis, and 

 Eleocharis multicaulis are, perhaps, the most abundant plants ; 

 they are accompanied by quantities of Viola pahislris, Hydro- 

 cotyle vulgaris, Galium palustre, Leontodon autuvmalis, Erica 

 Tetralix, Myosotis repens, fimcus bufonius, J. supinus, J. 

 lamproeatpus, J. aculiflortis, Carex glauca, and C.Jlava. Need- 

 less to say, the whole heath vegetation is extremely stunted 

 by exposure, and even such plants as the taller rushes named 

 above were gathered in flower a few inches high. Around the 

 lakelets there are small areas of very wet marsh, consisting of 

 a floating felt, where Me7iyanthes trifoliata, &c, join the group 

 enumerated above, and where a few species, such as Carex 

 paniadata and C. limosa, have their only habitat. On the 

 steep seaward slopes of the Signal Tower Hill a grassy, mossy, 

 springy sward prevails, with many patches of rushes. This is 

 much dug, to a depth of three or four feet, for peat, of which 

 there is still a good supply available. 



The Lakes. — Near the Signal Tower the little L,ough Coola- 

 knick lies in a deep depression on the edge of the cliff. At 

 the south-west end of the island half-a-dozen ponds and tiny 

 lakes lie in the rock troughs already alluded to. None of the 

 lakes attain a depth of more than about three feet. Most are 

 extremely shallow, with a bottom of soft peat-mud. Herring 

 Gulls in numbers frequent those in the west. 



