1855] First Botanical Essay. 65 



It has been thought desirable to re-publish these "Notes 

 on the Flora of the neighbourhood of Castle Taylor," in 

 the Appendix to the present Memoir, in the belief that they 

 will be found of interest, not only as his first contribution 

 to Irish botany, but from the uncommon and striking 

 character of the district treated of, which, though not rich 

 in number of species, is shown to be, in its remarkable 

 association and commingling of northern and southern 

 plants (as well as animals), practically unique: 



The occurrence of the Bee and Fly Orchis, characteristic of the 

 infer- agrarian zone, among such alpine plants as Sesleria, Gentiana 

 verna, Juniperus nana, and Arbutus uva-ursi, strictly belonging to the 

 (infer) arctic, is perhaps the most remarkable feature of the district, 

 and presents a combination of characters probably nowhere else to be 

 met with by the explorator of British botany. 



"As spring advanced," says his Journal, " I found 

 myself less strong, and so did not accomplish much either 

 botanically or ornithologically." The Cambridge Term 

 had, as usual, been kept at the expense of his recruited 

 strength. At Ryde, where the family remained till June, 

 he did little in his favourite line beyond " looking after the 

 old season marks," which were sadly late. 



The severe frost set in about the middle of January, at which time 

 the vegetation had made but very little advance. The hazel was not 

 flowering, and a few primroses in the woods were all the signs of life 

 (Arum leaves just rising). The true winter lasted till the end of 

 February, with one slight interruption only ; and in the Isle of Wight 

 there was more or less snow the whole time. In fact, it proved the 

 most rigorous winter remembered by the " oldest inhabitant." Still, at 

 the beginning of March, when the thaw came, there was yet plenty of 

 time for plants to make a timely start, and very soon the hazel shook 

 out his pollen in the bright sunshine. Potentilla fragariastrum, Vero- 

 nica hederifolia, and Taraxacum, I also noticed in flower a very few 

 days after the thaw ; but (with the exception of the usual persistent 

 species of Veronica, Senecio vulgaris, Poa annua, Stellaria media, 

 Ulex europaeus) these were all I could find in the first week of March. 



Here cold northerly winds set in, veering eastward and westward, 

 but scarce ever on the south half of the compass mostly eastern 

 which soon hardened the soil, and this, combined with night frosts, 

 kept everything wonderfully back during the whole month. I picked a 

 few daffodils in a very warm nook on the 20th March, just about two 



F 



