174 ^^^ Irish Naturalist, ' December, 1918. 



A Jay in Co. Lon^^ford. 



During over thirty years of careful observation of bird life here, never 

 until to-day have I seen a Jay. I had him under view with my opera 

 glasses for at least a quarter of an hour, and could not possibly mistake 

 his brilliant plumage. Most of time under a big oak tree, apparently 

 at the acorns. I hope he is not merely a passer by. Your readers will be 

 interested in this incident. 



J- Mackay Wilson. 



Currygrane, Co. Longford. 



BOTANY. 



Irish Myxomycetes. 



When starting on a " Myxie Hunt " one cannot always count with 

 certainty on securing specimens, even during favourable weather con- 

 ditions, but there is still in many parts of Ireland, the chance of finding 

 something which is new to the district. This was my luck on a visit 

 paid to the Glen of the Downs in September last, when the solitary find 

 of the day proved to be Hemitvichia Vaspanum McBride. It was found 

 growing on an old heap of sawdust in a sawmill close by the Delgany 

 entrance to the Glen, and is the first record from Ireland outside Ulster. 

 Miss G. Lister has been good enough to examine the specimen and confirm 

 my identification. 



On the 24th October 1 was fortunate enough to get about a dozen 

 sporangia of the minute but very beautiful Comatricha elegnns Lister, on 

 dead wood at Emo Park, Portarlington. The only other Irish records 

 for this are Belvoir Park, Belfast (M. \V. Rea) and Carngaver woods 

 (Stelfox). 



On the 25th October my boy Stanley observed a mass of wood-plas- 

 modium on a tree trunk near the Dodder River at Rathfarnham. He 

 cut off a portion with the bark on which it was creeping, and brought it 

 home to me. It was placed in a saucer with a little water, and in about 

 a week it ripened and formed a round oethalium about one inch in diameter, 

 which on microscopical examination proved to be Brefeldio maxima Rost. 

 The only other Irish record of this scarce species which I can trace is 

 that of Professor Yapp, who found it at Malone, near Belfast. It has 

 also been recorded from England, Prance, Sweden, Ciermany, Switzerland, 

 and the United States. 



W. I". GUNN. 



Dublin. 



