Feb. 1896.] 29 



ON THE BOTANICAL SUBDIVISION OF IRKI.AND. 



BY R. I.I.OYD PRAEGKR, B.E). 



(PIRATE I.) 



Thirty-seven years have now elapsed since, at a meeting of 

 the Dublin University Zoological and Botanical Association, 

 a paper by Charles C. Babington was read, entitled " Hints 

 towards a Cybele Hibernica.'" In this communication, the 

 author put forward a scheme for the subdivision of Ireland 

 into twelve provinces and thirty-seven counties and vice- 

 counties, on the plan of Watson's Cybele Britannica ; and as 

 the paper is not readily accessible to most botanists, the 

 suggested division may be reprinted here : — 



XIX. SOUTH ATIvANTIC— 113. South Kerry ; 114, North Kerry; 

 115. South Cork. 



XX. BLAG KWATER.— 116. North Cork ; 117. Wexford; 118. South 

 Tipperary. 



XXI. BARROW.— 119. Kilkenny; 120. Carlow; 121, Queen's Co. 



XXII. LEINSTER COAST.--122. Wexford; 123. Wicklow. 



XXIII. LIFFEY AND BOYNE— 124. Kildare; 125. Dubhn ; 126. 

 Meath; 127. Louth. 



XXIV. LOWER SHANNON.— 128. Limerick; 129. Clare; 130. East 

 Galway. 



XXV. UPPER SHANNON.— 131. North Tipperary ; 132. King's Go. ; 

 133, Westmeath ; 134. Longford. 



XXVI. NORTH ATLANTIC— 135. West Galway ; 136. West Mayo. 

 XXVIL NORTH CONNAUGHT.— 137. East Mayo; 138. Sligo ; 139. 



Leitrim ; 140. Roscommon. 



XXVIIL ERNE.— 141. Fermanagh ; 142. Cavan ; 143. Monaghan ; 

 144. Tyrone; 145. Armagh. 



XXIX. DONEGAL.— 146. Donegal. 



XXX. ULSTER COAST.— 147. Down ; 148. Antrim ; 149. Derry. 



Following Watson, Babington founded his twelve provinces 

 as far as possible on the principal river-basins of the country. 

 Ireland does not readily lend itself to such a plan of division. 

 The Shannon valley occupies about one-sixth of the entire 

 island, and other river-basins are small in comparison. Also, 

 the mountain-chains being mostly near the coast, considerable 

 areas are drained by small rivers only. The consequence 

 was that in many cases river-basin provinces were not 

 practicable, and this gave an opportunity for the using of 



» Nat, Hist Review,^ vi., pt 2, 1859. Proc. D, U. Zool and Bot, Assoc^ i. 



A 



