122 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



the current than the point opposite ; but the third time, whether I 

 was tired, or the knapsack was very much heavier, I was carried 

 well into the strength of the current at the bar, and began to 

 wonder how far it was to Cardigan Bay. However, I accom- 

 plished the transport and resumed the journey. A few miles more 

 brought me to a clean little inn at Kilmore. On the way I noticed 

 Eroclium maritimum and Atri])lex littoralis. Through the courtesy 

 of the chief boatman at the Coastguard Station I was able to make 

 arrangements that night for a day on the Saltee Islands, of whose 

 botany I had seen no report. 



July 30. A tolerably early start in the Coastguards' boat, 

 manned by four able men, brought me in about an hour to the 

 great Saltee Island, which lies south of Kilmore, and about four 

 miles distant. The lesser island, about half the size of the greater, 

 is a mile and a-half nearer shore. It is a third of a mile in width, 

 and three-quarters in length. Grreater Saltee is, roughly speaking, 

 the same width and twice that length. A line drawn north-east 

 and south-west would, approximately, form the greater axis of 

 both islands. They are composed chiefly of gneiss and other hard 

 metamorphic or Cambrian rocks. I met with no limestone. Con- 

 sidering their small size, the flora is varied, and some very interest- 

 ing varieties occurred. There are no shrubs or trees. On the 

 larger island Linaria elatine was gathered on the shingly shore 

 below cultivated fields, about half a mile south of the landing- 

 place. This plant has been found previously in very few locali- 

 ties, chiefly in the county Cork. At the south-western extremity 

 of this island I was pleased to meet with Eadiola millegrana, very 

 rare in the south-east of Ireland, and not gathered in this district 

 before. Chenopodium ruhrum occurs here, indisputably native, in 

 characteristic abundance. It may be seen in quantity amongst the 

 rabbit-holes and rocky ground at the barren south-eastern corner of 

 the island. This plant is very rare and local in Ireland, and chiefly 

 occurs on the Wexford coast ; nowhere, however, so commonly as 

 in the present situation. Inula crithmoides is also a characteristic 

 plant, occurring in several places, always on the east side of the 

 island. This has not been noticed along the Irish coast in this 

 district before, its nearest recorded stations being Howth on the 

 north, and Ardmore on the west. A few other interestiug plants 

 were noticed : Stachys arvensis and Anthemis cotula are very fre- 



