t902 Bui.i.oCk-We:bster. — CharacecB from Co. Monaghan. 143 



ordinary size. The splendid harvest of such an uncertain 

 and scarce species was a rich reward for much fruitless 

 hunting. 



Monalty ly. yielded also Chara hispida, Chara hispida var. 

 rudis, Chara vulgaris var. longibradcata^ and A^. opaca (?), 

 whilst ly. Naglack, which I also explored with the aid of a 

 boat, yielded Chara hispida and C. hispidd var. rudis, Chara 

 fragilis, and C.fragilis var. Hcdwigii Kuetz., Chara coniraria 

 Kuetz. ; and one or two fine specimens of Nitella mucroiiata. 



There are two small pools adjoining, and just south of, 

 'ly. Naglack. These, with the neighbouring ditches, proved 

 very rich in Chara vegetation, 3delding, as they did, 

 C polyaca?ttha, C. aspera var. desmacantha H. and J. Groves, 

 C. hispida, C. hispida var. rudis, C fragilis var. capillacea 

 Braun, and C coniraria. 



W6 also spent a day on lyough Sillan, County Cavan. This 

 fine piece of water looked capable of yielding many treasures, 

 but diligent search only produced Chara fragilis, Nitella 

 flexilis, and (much more interesting than either of these) 

 N. flexilis var. nidifica Wallm., growing sparsely with the 

 type. 



We only undertook two distant excursions. One was to 

 Lough Neagh, where I was ver\^ anxious to collect the rare 

 Chara aspera var. lacustris H. and J. Groves. I succeeded in 

 getting some good specimens, aided by Mr. Praeger's kind 

 directions, and also some excellent plants of C. fragilis var. 

 delicatula Braun, which is abundant at the southern extremity 

 of the lake. 



The other excursion was to the Westmeath lakes, that I 

 might see growing in its own home, and collect with my own 

 hands, Chara tomentosa Linn. We were fortunate enough to 

 hit on brilliant weather for our visit to Mullingar, and spent 

 ten hours on Lough Owel, favoured with unbroken sunshine 

 and an absolutely unruffled surface to the water. This 

 enabled me to examine the submerged aquatics in a way 

 which seldom falls to the lot of a botanist, and I detected 

 what, I think, has not been observed in the lake before, 

 Nitella tenuissima Kuetz., growing in fine condition in 4-6 feet 

 of water in some abundance. Three very distinct forms of 

 Chara cmitraria were prevalent, as well as abundance of 



