^8 The Irish Naturalist. [Feb. 



continuous numbering for the whole of the British Islands 

 would be certainly a desideratum ; but one which passes 

 without a break or indication of a change from Shetland to 

 Killarney is too unnatural to commend itself Botanists will 

 form their own opinions on this point ; for my part, I prefer 

 to follow the lead set by the careful and able authors of Cybele 

 Hibernica, who numbered the Irish districts i to 12, not XIX 

 to XXX ; and I have numbered the counties and vice-counties 

 of Ireland i to 40. 



Another point requiring a passing notice is the use of the 

 words "province" and ''district." Babington, following 

 Watson, called the twelve Irish botanical divisions "provinces" ;' 

 the authors of Cybele Hibe>7iica used the term "district" in- 

 stead; M'Nab proposed to return to the word "province." 

 Considering that Ireland is divided geographically into four 

 provinces — Ulster, Munster, lycinster, and Connaught, — and 

 that in Ireland the term " province " is invariably used in this 

 sense only, I believe its use to signify the twelve botanical 

 divisions of the country would lead to confusion ; and I follow 

 Moore and More, who (probably on the same consideration ) 

 called them " districts." 



In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge the ready and willing 

 assistance which I received from many Irish botanists in the 

 inquiries made for the purposes of the present paper ; and I 

 would specially offer my thanks to Messrs. N. Colgan, m.r.i.a., 

 R. A. Phillips, R. W. Scully, f.l.s., S- A. Stewart, f.b.s.k., and 

 Rev. C. H. Waddell, b.d., for information and for useful 

 criticism given in correspondence, or in conversation. 



^ Babington's Irish " provinces" correspond in size and importance 

 to Watson's " vice-provinces," rather than to his " provinces," and might 

 preferably have been numbered XXXIX to L. in continuation of the 

 last British vice-province (Shetland), rather than XIX to XXX. 



