10 THE BOTANY OF THE BAEROW. 



and helps to form the noble inlet of Waterford Harbour. From its 

 source to its union with the Nore the Barrow is about 110 miles in 

 length, and from Millford, in Carlow, to New Ross, in Wexford, 

 the scenery is in many places very lovely ; Graiguenamanagh and 

 the wooded declivities along the reaches past Borris and St. Mullius 

 are scenes of extreme beauty. 



The upper half of the river, from the base of the Slieve Blooms 

 to Atliy, is an uncertain wandering through a plain where the river 

 frequently loses itself in a swampy fiat, to be converted into a 

 shallow lake in winter — an undrained and undrainable region, 

 rendered hopelessly so by the numerous weirs and mill-dams from 

 Athy onwards. This part of the river is rich in marsh species — 

 many local ones abound ; and ducks and other aquatic birds breed 

 here undisturbed in vast numbers. Numerous ruins of castles, 

 some noble, others merely picturesque, as well as several hand- 

 somely castellated and imposing mills adorn the banks. Wooded 

 demesnes lie along, and sametimes, as at Garryhinch, lie under the 

 water for a considerable distance. Continually was I asked the 

 all-important question, "Will the drainage be finished this year? " 

 and I found it useless to attempt to deny my coimection with a 

 company said to exist for that purpose. What could a man with 

 neither gun, rod, nor dog otherwise be up to ? 



For a considerable distance (from Athy to St. MuUins) there 

 is a tow-path for canal-boats either actually on the bank of the 

 Barrow or else a few perches from it, on the parallel canal, where 

 the two arc not in combination. I was always careful to follow 

 that bank of the river which was not under this contaminating 

 influence. This of course was entirely m opposition to the common- 

 sense views of occasional well-wishers and would-be guides along 

 its course, and no doubt the labour would have been greatly 

 reduced had I accepted advice ; but the natural and swampy side 

 had undeniable claims on a botanist. I spent 5^ days on this 

 exploration, taking another day among the bogs, and up the Black 

 or Figile river, near Monasterevan. My travels lay chiefly in 

 District III. of the ' Cybele Hibernica,' but in the upper part of the 

 river I started along Districts VII. and V. To the floras of these 

 three districts I added upwards of seventy plants. Amongst these 

 species thus discovered in new localities are NasUirtium sylvestre. 

 Campanula Trachelinm, and Carex axillaris, the first two of which 

 were previously known from a single Irish district apiece, while the 

 latter has been authenticated from a single locality only — that of 

 Kinsale, in Cork. Again, it was very interesting to observe the 

 striking abundance of some very local species in Ireland, such as 

 Stellaria (jhiiica, Gbjceria aquatica, and Scirpus sijlraticiis ; while 

 numerous uncommon plants were found in new habitats. 



The River Barrow, it may be seen, has received little attention 

 at the hands of botanists. In the ' Cybele Hibernica,' under 

 Butomns nmhcllatus, will be found the words, " Sent from the Barrow 

 to Threlkeld." I was always on the look-out for this species, but 

 without success. Again, in the Supplement to the Cybele, we find 

 under Glyceria aquatica, "In the Barrow, below Carlow; R. Clayton 



