300 The Irish Naturalist, 



abundance for a year or two in localities where they were previously 

 unknown, and as rapidly disappearing; and probably Threlkeld's plant, 

 which was no doubt imported with seed, has long since forsaken 

 its former habitat by the Boyne ; at any rate, it does not now occupy the 

 station so explicitly described by the pioneer of Irish botany. As few 

 botanists apparently have visited this spot, it may be worth mentioning 

 the characteristics of the flora, although nothing of special interest 

 occurs. On the sand-dunes Cynoglossum officinale is the most abundant 

 plant — excepting Psamma and Ononis. Viola curtisii is frequent ; with it 

 grows the rare grass Festuca uniglumis, probably its most northerly station 

 in Ireland ; it was first found here many years ago by Dr. Moore, as re- 

 corded in " Cybele Hibernica; " and the rayless form {S. flosculosus, Jord.) 

 of Senecio jacobcea is more abundant than the type. On the sandy shore grow 

 Cakile, Eryngiiim, Euphorbia paralias, Salsola. In the neighbourhood of the 

 little village of Mornington I observed Sisymbrium sophia, Lychnis vesperfina, 

 L.githago, Malva rotundifolia, Geranium pyrenaicum, Medicago sativa, Fceniculum, 

 Carduus crispus, and C. ienuijlorus, Lycopsis, Borago, Ballota, Lamium album, 

 Chenopodium bonus- henricus, C. murale ; I did not ohsQ-rvQ Artemisia maritima, 

 recorded from this neighbourhood in 1873, by Mr. More {Journ. Bot). 

 By the muddy river-banks, above its sandy mouth, were Sagina maritima, 

 Apitim graveolans, Statice bahusiensis. Beta, Obione, Suceda, Lepturus. The most 

 interesting thing at Mayden Tower, however, was not a plant at all, but 

 consisted of the enormous abundance of the extremely local snail. Helix 

 pisana, which in Ireland is confined to a strip of the east coast from Rush 

 to Drogheda. Here it occurred in thousands, all over the dunes, and 

 among the maritime plants on the sea-shore ; it was in the latter situation 

 that I obtained the finest specimens. — R. Li^oyd Peae^ger. 



Alien Plants at Creenisland, Belfast. — Mrs. White-Spunner 

 sends me specimens of an interesting group of casuals gathered by her 

 at one spot near Greenisland. The plants are Sisymbrium sophia, Thlaspi 

 arvense, Erisymu77i orientale, Linum perenne, Lychnis vespertina, Melilotus alba, 

 Cichorium intybus, Hyoscyamus niger, Galeopsis speciosa, and an exotic Linaj'ia, 

 with handsome purple flowers, which I have not identified. Some of the 

 above are admitted as natives in the Co. Antrim flora, but in the present 

 instance the bad company which they are keeping is fatal to their claim. 

 From inquiries which Mrs. White-Spunner has made, it appears that 

 fowl were kept at the place in question, and that they were fed with 

 foreign grain ; which is an ample explanation of the appearance of the 

 plants in question. — R. L1.0YD Praegkr. 



Limosella aquatica in Ireland. — Karly in July last, Mr. O'Kelly, 

 of Ballyvaughan, sent me some specimens oi Limosella aquatica, which he 

 had gathered on the margin of Lough Inchiquin, near Corofin, in the 

 Co. Clare. This plant had not, it is believed, been previously found in 

 Ireland, though it is mentioned by Wade in his "Plantse Rariores" as 

 " frequently occurring where water has stood during the winter — Co. 

 Galway, near Ballynahinch, Connemara; " but this locality has not since 

 been confirmed by any other botanist. About one month after the dis- 

 covery of the plant by Mr. O'Kelly, being in the neighbourhood of 

 Corofin, I visited the lake, which, owing to heavy rain, had in the inter- 

 val risen about three feet, and submerged the Limosella to a depth of 

 nearly two feet. I was able, however, with the help of a boat and drag, 

 to procure some plants, which then presented a totally different appear- 

 ance to that of the specimens sent me by Mr. O'Kelly, having apparently, 

 after submergence, cast off most of the old leaves with the ripened fruits, 

 and developed a fresh crop of bright green young leaves, the stems of 

 which were in some instances elongated to as much as four or five inches. 

 This stage of the plant's growth does not appear to have been previously 

 noticed, and may be due to the abnormal season. Mr. O'Kelly has, since 

 my visit, discovered the Limosella in two other localities in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Gorst, in the Co. Galway, and no doubt the very dry season 

 ■ and consequent low state of the water in the lakes and *' turloughs " has 



