NEW PUBLICATIONS. 865 
Besides altitudinal range of species, it is important to know what 
are the upper limits of agricultural plants in different parts of Ireland, 
as well as the exotics which thrive in gardens at various heights and 
stations. The authors read a joint paper on this very subject at one of 
tlie meetings of the late Botanical Congress, a statement of the facts 
collected would have formed an appropriate subject in the introduction 
in connection with climate. * _ 
The compilation of the * Cybele Hibernica ’ must have cost a great 
amount of labour; the work contains an excellent summary of all that 
is known respecting the Irish Flora to the present date, but there are 
many parts almost or altogether unexplored, and we recommend the 
young botanists of Ireland to combine together and portion out certain 
districts for more thorough investigation. In this way a large body 
of additional facts could be gathered ; isolated efforts are less likely to 
be fruitful in results; and why should the work be left to casual visi- 
tors from the other side of the Channel. Various points might well 
form subjects for further inquiry. There are peculiarities in the distri- 
bution of certain species in Ireland which have a wider range in Bri- 
tain. The following, for example, are confined, so far as known at 
present, to a few spots in the western districts of the former country, 
viz:, Thalictrum alpinum, Arabis petrea, Astragalus Hypoglottis, Spirea 
Filipendula, Alchemilla alpina, and Saxifraga nivalis. In treating such 
questions it is requisite to avoid conclusions founded on too limited 
premises; the four plants supposed to “ point to a former connection 
with N. America,” afford data insufficient for any positive conclusion ; 
one of them at least is not confined to Ireland,—Naias flexilis is re- 
corded as growing near Stettin. : : 
In Mackay's * Irish Flora’ the Cryptogamia were included, excepting 
the Fungi; many species have been. added since, and opinions some- 
what modified regarding several recorded in that work. It is to be 
hoped that the * Cybele Hibernica ° may soon reach a second edition, 
in which we trust that department will be included. Dr. Moore has 
* At p. 17 is a table of mean temperatures for sixteen different places; the 
authors remark that “ the mean annual temperature E up is a little over 
50? F., which is about the same average as Sout a The column « 
the table, however, on which we presume the statement is founded, gives a dif- 
ferent result, viz. 49^6 F. 
+ While we write it is reported that Acorus Calamus has beet added to the 
Trish list, the plant having been got in considerable quantity between Lisburn 
and Moira. 
