312 IRISH BOTANY. {^September, 



is not borne out in fact so satisfactorily as tlie appearance of the 

 place generally would lead us to hope for. 



The only inhabitant of our Islands that I have met here is 

 Pteris aquilina, somewhat changedj hirsute, and delicately cut, 

 even sometimes approaching P. scaberula ; still I believe in its 

 identity with our Brake, growing under altered conditions. 



I have been in Sierra Leone now three weeks ; allowing twelve 

 hours' daylight, deduct half in tornadoes and fierce sunshine, 

 leaves far too little for doing as much as could be desired. I find 

 so many plants new, with which I thought myself familiar, but 

 here present such an altered character, that I am frequently much 

 puzzled. Epiphytical Orchidece, supposed to be poorly repre- 

 sented in Africa, are most common in this neighbourhood. I have 

 already collected some thirty species for sending home; many 

 others, I make no doubt, could be procured if the lofty trees were 

 accessible. The huge limbs of Bombax are sometimes literally 

 covered with various Angrmca, BolbopTiyllum, etc. ; but they 

 rise a hundred feet from terra firma. Ferns also abound in the 

 dense, shady declivities of the Sugar-loaf Mountain. As we pro- 

 ceed on to Fernando Po by this mail, I will give therefore a few 

 notes on this place some other time. At present I enjoy perfect 

 health, which I trust I may retain for some grand enterprise. 



I remain, yours truly, 



C. Barter. 



IRISH BOTANY. 



Note on the occurrence of Salix j)rocumbens, Forbes, and other 

 plants not previously noticed as Irish species. By D^^^ Moore, 

 Glasnevin. 



In the summer of 1854 I made a hasty botanical tour to the 

 Benbulben district in the county Sligo, accompanied by Dr. 

 Melville of Galway, for the purpose of collecting plants and spe- 

 cimens of Arenaria ciliata, that being the only locality where it 

 has yet been discovered to grow in the British Islands. 



When examining the high cliffs of the Ben and adjacent moun- 

 tains, we observed some dwarf species of Salix growing among 

 them, which I had not previously seen elsewhere in Ireland. At 

 the time we made the visit (end of July) the Willows had passed 



