Sketches of Irish Natural History. 5 5 1 



12. Brown trout, or common trout (S. fario). Common, and this 

 includes the varieties : (a] Estuarius, which I have myself taken at 

 Ardgroom. (&} Gillaroo, S. stomachicus. (c] Great Lake trout (ferox), 

 a cannibal, coarse form ; gives great play when hooked, and often 

 weighs 15 or 2olbs. 



13. Charr. In several of the mountain lakes ; at Inchigeela and in 

 Coomahasarn Lakes, &c. 



Cole's charr (Salmo colei] is the more common form. 

 Gray's charr (Salmo grayi}. Killarney lakes. 



14. Pollan (Coregonus $ollari}. In Lough Derg and in the river 

 Shannon, near Killaloe. 



15. Sturgeon (A cipenser sturid). 



1 6. Common Eel (Anguilla vulgaris). 



17. Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus}. At Killaloe from loth 

 to end of June {Thompson]. 



1 8. River Lamprey {Petromyzon fluviatilis}. Youghal; to 10 

 inches in length. 



19. Planer's Lamprey (Petromyzon branchialis}. 4^ to 5 inches in 

 length. River Shannon, at Killaloe ; and at Lough Caragh, Kerry, in 

 spring or summer. 



We have, thus, in our district nineteen of the twenty-two Irish 

 fresh -water fishes. The absence of the common bream and minnow is 

 remarkable. 



III. CHARACTERISTIC AND RARE PLANTS. 



The Flora of Ireland, as distinguished from that of the rest of the 

 Continent of Europe, is remarkable from the presence of a few striking 

 species which do not occur in Great Britain nor in northern Europe. 



Nearly all of these plants may be classed as Western and South- 

 western in Ireland. Several of them are very abundant in their Irish 

 stations. For instance, the "Bell Heath" (Dabeocia pohjolid], a 

 striking and handsome species, occurs plentifully throughout Conne- 

 mara and the barony of Murrisk, in Western Mayo ; in fact, through 

 the whole district lying between Galway bay and Clew bay. This and 

 the Mediterranean Heath (Erica Mediterranea] are two of the most 

 characteristic plants of the Irish flora ; and, with another Heath (Erica 

 Mackayi), constitute a very striking group of species, whose head- 

 quarters are to be found in Portugal and Spain. It is to be remarked 

 here, that, curiously enough, not one of these three heaths is found in 

 Clare, or Kerry, or Cork for the South-west of Ireland has also its own 

 distinct group of plants, most of which do not occur further north. 

 In fact, the peculiarly " Irish " species arrange themselves under four 

 groups. 



