142 The Irish Naturalist. June, 



Ross lyougli, five miles east of Carrickmacross, and in 

 County Louth, was our next piece of water. Here the neigh- 

 bouring ditches yielded Chara frdgilis, and the remains of 

 NitcUa opaca ox flexilis. 



The lakes north and north-west of Carrickmacross, which I 

 explored in succeeding days, yielded nothing more than 

 these two species, often less. My notes record from Greagh- 

 lone L. Nitella opaca (?), Chara fragilis, and C. fragilis var. 

 delicatula Braun. These were growing near the shore. I was 

 unable to secure a boat. From Cornalaca ly. (hard by, but 

 in County Cavan), C fragilis and N. opaca ( ?) ; these were in 

 deep water, ver}^ sparsely distributed. 



From Shantonagh ly. nothing. From Lisnakillewbane ly. 

 N. opaca (?). From Avattan ly., where we secured a punt 

 and dredged for some while, C fragilis and N. opaca (?), both 

 of which occurred also in shallow water, near the edge. 

 Aphuca ly., three miles north of Carrickmacross, yielded 

 nothing in the shape of Characeae, and Creevy ly.. a mile 

 further on, only favoured me with some very fine N.flexilis (?). 

 In none of these instances was I able to find any fruit on 

 the Nitellas sufficient to indicate for certain their species. 



Close round Carrickmacross itself I had better success. 

 There is a small pool — it cannot be called a lake — south-west 

 of the town, lying off the road which leads to Lough Fea. 

 Here my drag, thrown from the banks, brought up Chara 

 hispida Linn., Chara zmlgaris Linn., and Chara vulgaris var. 

 longibracteata Kuetz. Further dredging produced some fine 

 specimens of Chara polyacantha and Chara hispida var. rudis 

 Braun. But a great surprise was in store when I detected 

 amongst the miscellaneous collection of water-weeds which 

 the drag brought to land some small pieces of Nitella 

 miicronata Kuetz. Diligent dragging produced some good 

 specimens, and had it been possible to get a boat on the 

 water, I do not doubt that I should have been able to collect 

 much more. But Monalty L-, a couple of miles eastward, 

 where I had the advantage of a boat, yielded a magnificent 

 supply of this rare Nitella. There appeared to be thick beds 

 of it, which the drag came upon now and again, in some 4-6 

 feet of water. The plant was in magnificent condition, 

 bright, clean, full of fruit, and considerably above the 



