118 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



the number of species is small. The Cladonias are much the most 

 abundant. Cladonia cervicornis forms innumerable small tussocks on peaty- 

 soil amongst the heather and other vegetation on the upper part of the olifis, 

 and is frequentwith Cladonia coccif era along the south-west and eastern coasts. 

 Cladonia sohoUfera is not so common. It occurs at lower levels on mossy soil 

 or on mossy rocks. Cladonia pyxidata grows everywhere; on shady earth- 

 banks with a well- developed foliaoeous thallus which carries a plentiful crop 

 of podetia, but on dry soil it consists of small scattered and ill-developed 

 leaflets, and is always barren. On steep sliady banks, leprarious growths of 

 various Cladonias and wide bands of granular growths, lurid grey in colour, 

 but sometimes mixed with sulphur-yellow patches, are common. These last are 

 always barren, and seem to be mainly shade growtlis of Lecidea granulosa. 

 They are very commou along the south-west coast on steep cliffs, between 

 the grassy sward and the rock, and on earthy ledges. Fertile growths of 

 this Lecidea are also common on peaty soil in various localities. At Old 

 Boat-house they are associated with Cladonia cervicornis, Biatorina synothea, 

 and subsp. subnigrata, with Bilimhia aroniatica and B. melaena. On the 

 banks south-east of Earlsclifie, similar fertile growths of Lecidea granulosa 

 and Bilimhia melaena were found. 



The most important colonies of earth-loving lichens were seen on the 

 earth-banks on the south-west coast. The upper part of the cliffs along 

 this coast is to a great extent covered with Boulder-clay and drift, which 

 in some places reach the shore, and almost obscure the rocky surface. These 

 earth-banks are most accessible below Earlscliffe and at Glenaveena, where 

 there is a maze of paths leading from top to bottom that makes it an 

 easy matter to explore the slopes. At Earlscliffe the banks vary from 

 100-120 feet in height. The vegetation in the upper part consists of coarse 

 grasses and strong-growing plants such as Bracken, Brambles, Thistles, 

 Burdocks, Nettles, and refuse from the Earlscliffe garden. In spring 

 groves of yellow cabbage plants, Wild Mignonette, and Opium Poppies 

 make a beautiful sight. Thickets of Blackthorn, through which the White 

 Bryony scrambles, also occur at various levels. The only bare soil in these 

 upper readies lies round the rabbit-holes, with which the ground is riddled, . 

 and it is too disturbed for lichens or any vegetation to take hold on it. Under 

 the Blackthorns the shade is too deep, but on tlie humus at the edge of 

 the thickets various crustaceous species were found. Lecanora suhfusca var. 

 campestris, and Buellia niyriocarpa, which thickly covers the soil and the dead 

 twigs, were the most common. Even the grass-leaves and other vegetable 

 matter embedded in the soil were black with the fruits of this last species. 



On the lower slopes the surface is rather steeper, and the vegetation less rank. 



