^4 The Irish Naturalist. [ March, 



occurs all through the northern, sub-arctic regions of Europe 

 and Siberia, another species of the genus being found in 

 Alaska. This beetle yields in interest to no member of our 

 fauna, and the occurrence of such a practically arctic animal 

 within a few yards of Mesites Tardyi or Geomalacus maculosus 

 is as striking an instance as can be found of the mingling of 

 the north and the south which Ireland presents. 



In our excursions of the year nearer home, we have also 

 found examples of the mingling. The Braganstown expedi- 

 tion in August will be remembered by us, not only because 

 of Mr. Garstin's kind hospitality to our party, but on account 

 of Dr. M'Weeney's discovery of Stysa?ius ulinarice, a new species 

 of fungus whose nearest relation is to be found in Ceylon. 

 This recalls to mind the remarkable tropical affinities of many 

 of the Irish mosses and liverworts' with which Mr. M'Ardle 

 has made us familiar. And, on this same Braganstown ex- 

 cursion, Mr. Halbert added to the Irish list of Hemiptera 

 Teratocoris Saundersii, a Russian and Scandinavian species, 

 which in Great Britain is known only from Aberdeen, Nor- 

 folk, and Kent. The continental range of this bug recalls 

 that of the sedge Carex rhy7ichophysa, which Mr. Praeger in his 

 investigation of the flora of Co. Armagh"" added to the British 

 flora three years ago. 



Such are some of the facts which ask for an explanation 

 from us, students of the natural histor>^ of Ireland. Is it 

 wise, as yet, to attempt to explain them ? Not if our expla- 

 nation be dogmatic, but surely research will be stimulated by 

 our endeavours to get an inkling of how these things have 

 come to be. I,et us theorise, and then test our theories by the 

 light of the fresh facts with which the labours of years to 

 come will surely supply us. 



In the classical work of Forbes, to which reference has 

 already been made, the group of southern plants characteristic 

 of western and south-western Ireland was considered the 

 oldest group in our flora, and was explained by the supposi- 

 tion of a Miocene Atlantic continent reaching to beyond the 

 Azores. The boreal and alpine flora was believed to be a 



1 A. R. Wallace^" Island Life," 2ndKd. (p. 366). London, 1892. 

 "^ Irish Naturalisti vol. ii., 1893, p. 184. 



