PREFACE 



The present work is an attempt to give a full and reliable account of 

 the native vegetation of the Counties of Down, Antrim, and Derry ; an 

 undertaking which was projected some years since by the late Thomas 

 H. Corry, M.A., in conjunction with the surviving Editor. That it has 

 not sooner appeared is due to the lamentably sudden and premature death 

 of Mr. Corry, and to the fact that the writer could give but a very limited 

 portion of time to the collection and revision of the material. As this 

 volume will doubtless fall into the hands of many who may not know of 

 the fate that befel him who urged on the project, a brief statement on 

 the subject may be allowable. 



Early in 1882 Mr. Corry was appointed by the Royal Irish Academy 

 to examine and report on that rich botanical district, the Ben Bulben 

 range of mountains in County Sligo. In pursuance of this arrangement 

 he visited these mountains during the summer of that year, being accom- 

 panied by two enthusiastic botanical friends, Mr. Charles Dickson, 

 solicitor, of Belfast, and Mr. R. P. VoweU, of Dublin. On this visit 

 many specimens were collected, and a valuable series of notes was made, 

 but the extent of the work was so great that it was found impossible to 

 siurey the district satisfactorily in one season. It was, therefore, 

 decided to revisit the locality during the following summer, and to 

 include more or less of the district adjacent to, though not strictly a part 

 of, the mountains in question. In fulfilment of this plan, Mr. Corry 

 and Mr. Dickson arrived in the town of Sligo on the evening of Wednes- 

 day, 8th August, 1883. Immediately above the town of Sligo lies 

 Lough Gill, a romantically -situated sheet of water, whose many pictu- 

 resque aspects form the chief attraction of the locality. This lake, at 

 the base of the richest mountain district of Ireland, seemed likely to 

 reward a botanical exploration, and it was settled that the next day 

 should be devoted to Lough Gill. The appearance of the following 

 morning was not at all inviting. Heavy showers of rain were frequent, 

 and were accompanied by such sudden and fierce squalls of wind that the 

 pedestrian was, for the time being, foiled in his attempts to proceed. 



Notwithstanding the forbidding aspect of the weather, and undeterred 

 by the warnings of the boatmen, our friends decided to carry out the 

 programme as arranged. They were young, they were good oarsmen, as 



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