262 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



and while waiting in Dublin for Dr. Brady, among 

 other things he went to Phoenix Park, and obtained 

 leave to dredge the ponds for objects of natural history. 

 From Dublin the two friends went together to Gal- 

 way, en route for Roundstone and Westport. The 

 journey from Galway being by car, they took more 

 than one opportunity to have a haul in the loughs 

 which they passed. Upon mentioning Lough Corrib, 

 Mr. Robertson says in his note-book, " The country 

 between this and Galway in many places is exceed- 

 ingly wild and barren, the wildness, however, not 

 increased as in our highlands by the absence of any- 

 thing like the commotion of human beings, for on the 

 plains among the grey boulders cotters swarm like 

 rabbits in a warren, and most of the youth of both 

 sexes swarming round the rudest hovels, by no means 

 inviting either to the eye or olfactory organs, are 

 characterized by a bloom of health and happiness 

 quite enviable." 



Arrived at their journey's end, they walked from the 

 hotel through the Marquis of Sligo's pleasure grounds 

 to Westport Bay. Here on the shore at low water 

 they found the profusion of life very great. Especi- 

 ally they observed the underside of the overhanging 

 boulders covered as if with scarlet drapery by multi- 

 tudes of a species of red ascidian. The colour of 

 another less frequent species was light purple or 

 peach blossom. The stones were crowded with 

 sponges, crabs and banded shrimps were plentiful, 

 the tube-dwelling marine worms were in enormous 

 abundance. An extract from the notes made on this 

 occasion cannot fail to be of service to the naturalist, 



