Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



similar nature ought to make its appearance, or be considered 

 genuine and valuable, unless the author has it in his power to 

 answer for the habitats or places of growth of the different 

 objects noticed." In 1804 the Muscologiae Hibernicse Spicile- 

 gium of Dawson Turner, Esq. appeared, which lias the merit of 

 being the earliest publication devoted to the mosses of Ireland — 

 an elegantly written and accurate work, containing figures of the 

 rarer species. About this time I was appointed assistant Botanist 

 in Trinity College ; and to the liberality of that learned body I am 

 indebted for many facilities afforded me of investigating the Bo- 

 tanical productions of Ireland. In 1806 I published a catalogue 

 of the rarer plants of the country, which were principally ob- 

 served by me during two very extensive excursions made through 

 the southern and western counties. This catalogue appeared in 

 the 5th volume of the Transactions of the Dublin Society. 



In 1810, Mr. James Drummond, then Curator of the Cork 

 Botanic Garden, published a catalogue of the plants of the 

 county of Cork — a catalogue highly creditable to that acute and 

 zealous Naturalist, who now fills the situation of Colonial Bo- 

 tanist at Swan River, and whose labours will, no doubt, illustrate 

 the Botany of that interesting region. 



In 1824, I gave to the Royal Irish Academy, for publication, 

 a Catalogue of all the Phaenogamous Plants and Ferns which I 

 had then ascertained to be natives of Ireland. This catalogue 

 was the result of twenty years observation during numerous ex- 

 cursions made to almost every part of the country that was likely 

 to afford interesting matter to the Botanist. A few inaccuracies 

 occur in this and the former Catalogue, which subsequent expe- 

 rience has enabled me to rectify. Whilst thus employed, I 

 always looked forward to the publication of an Irish Flora as the 

 final result of my investigations — an intention which I had an- 

 nounced in the preface to my Catalogue which appeared in 1825. 



I however then contented myself with recording accurately the 

 habitats of such plants as I had observed, or which had been 

 communicated to me by able Botanists, being induced to post- 

 pone the publication of the work till a later period, with the 

 view of making it as complete as possible : nor is this delay 



