192 Alexander Goodman More. [IB 66 



with your deservings than that which you are now seeking, and that 

 thus Science and the public may obtain more advantage from your 

 labours than so limited a sphere of usefulness can afford. I write in 

 some haste that I may not lose another post. Believe me, dear Mr. 

 More, yours most sincerely, 



THOMAS BELL. 



The appointment was not to be made till early in 1867, 

 and it was not until the 28th of August that his letter of 

 application with the three testimonials was forwarded. 

 Meanwhile the printing of the " Cybele Hibernica" kept 

 him busy in Dublin. Anxious, however, that Ireland 

 should not be unnoticed at the forthcoming International 

 Horticultural and Botanical Congress, to be held that 

 spring in London, Dr. Moore and he determined that an 

 essay relating to Irish botany should be contributed to 

 its agenda. There was just time to work up a paper 

 when the suggestion was made, and putting their heads 

 together they wrote one " On the Climate, Flora, and 

 Crops of Ireland." This paper quite served its purpose in 

 directing attention to the " outlying western area " of 

 Europe. Read by Dr. Moore, it raised an interesting dis- 

 cussion over the two characteristic Irish orchids, Neotinea 

 intacta and Spiranthes gemmipara. Professor Reichen- 

 bach made an important speech, especially regarding the 

 latter plant. He rejected both the then current opinions 

 that of its identity with the North American Spiranthes 

 cernua, and the supposed alternative of its being a species 

 peculiar to Ireland; and propounded the apparently im- 

 probable (but now accepted) theory of its identity with a 

 still more westerly species than Spiranthes cernua 

 S. romanzoffiana, which had lately been found in the 

 Rocky Mountains and on the west coast of America. This 

 information (leaving aside the question which name should 

 have priority) was received just in time for incorporation 

 in the text of the " Cybele "; thus the joint authors, by 

 their paper, had come by a last gleaning to improve their 

 book. 



In August the book was finished. Of the standard 

 work on the Irish Flora it is unnecessary to say more, 

 except indeed that its completion was a great relief to 



