200 The Irish Naturalist. [August, 



HEPATIC^ COI^IvECTED IN CO. CARIvOW. 



(For the R.I. A. Flora and Fauua Committee.) 

 BY DAVID M'ARDI,K. 



On the 30th of March last year I joined Dr. R. F. Scharff and 

 Mr. J. N. Halbert/ of the Science and Art Museum, at Borris, 

 where they were investigating the fauna ; and we were soon 

 on our way to the banks of the River Barrow. In a small 

 plantation amongst granite rocks near the bridge at Graigue, 

 I was fortunate in gathering Scapania compada in a fertile 

 state. The late Dr. D. Moore considered it a very rare liver- 

 wort, and the only specimens he collected of it were found in 

 two localities in the County Kerry, in both places sterile. 

 Scapania cequiloba and 5- aspera also grew plentifully amongst 

 the moist crumbling rocks. We returned through the demesne 

 to Borris. The following day was spent collecting on both sides 

 of the river between Ballyluglea Bridge at Borris, and Gores- 

 bridge, distant about five miles. Amongst other liverworts I 

 collected Lejunea flava, var., and/., patens, and on damp rocks 

 in a wood the rare Lophocolea spicata. Part of a day spent in 

 Oakwood Park near Carlow concluded this interesting 

 excursion. 



In the following list of Hepaticae I enumerate ^^ species 

 and 3 varieties, many of them rare and of botanical interest, 

 such as fertile specimens of Metzgeria conjugata, Jwigermania 

 alpestris, &c. It may be of interest to note that we have no 

 previous list or even a locality quoted for liverworts in the 

 County Carlow that I am aware of. Had our visit been of 

 longer duration I could have pushed on to the Blackstairs 

 Mountains, and possibly I would have been enabled to further 

 extend this list. Hepaticae are very scarce in the granite 

 districts, but a few genera, such as Seapajiia, Nardia, 8lc., 

 abound. On the limestone formation they are more abundant 

 both in genera and species. 



FruIIania dilatata, Linn. — Wood by the roadside at Graiguena- 

 managh, Goresbridge, Oak Park demesne, on trees, common. 



F. tamarisci (Mich. L.)— Spreading in large patches on rocks and 

 trees about Graigue, Goresbridge, Oak Park demesne, very common. 



Lejeunea serpyllifolia (Dicks.) Libert. — On a damp bank, Graigue. 

 On trees in the wood near Goresbridge. 



* Mr. Halbert has publivShed a list of the Coleoptera which he captured, 

 in the /ris/t Naturalist for December, 1895, p. 330. 



