I.iO 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



ralher darker in colour and smaller than the small 

 egrets. The night heron. A cormorant was very 

 numerous, but the species could not be identified. 

 The eggs were bluish-white, with encrustations of 

 white lime. The glossy ibis [Faldnellu.i i^ieus) 

 nests were like the egrets, composed of bulrushes, and 

 placed at the same height above the water ; their . 

 eggs are bright blue. There were other species I 

 could not identify whilst on the wing, and being the 

 breeding season we did not wish to shoot any. 



Towards the borders of the lake we saw several 

 species of ducks, many reedwarblers, the pied king- 

 fisher, and on a low tree near to where we disembarked 

 were a pair of white tailed eagles (Haliaetus alhicilla). 

 which -flew off on our approach. Immediately 

 beneath the branch on which they rested we found 

 the neat nest of one of the Paridae, on the construction 



of which the two tits were busily at work, taking liltle- 

 notice of our presence. Its framework was composed 

 of long grasses, filled in with the down of bulrushes. 

 When complete these nests are of the shape of a 

 chemist's retort, and are generally found suspended to 

 the outermost branches of willows overhanging a 

 river. The eggs, five or six in number, are pure 

 white, and usually laid early in May. 



The odours of the decaying vegetation under the 

 hot sun were sickening, and interesting as our visit 

 to this swamp-like lake had been, we were not sorry 

 to leave the boats, and mounting our horses proceed 

 on our journey to the more healthful lake hidden in 

 the motintains of the east. 



Smyrna., 



gthjiiue, rSgg. 



IRISH PLANT NAMES. 

 By John H. Baekouk. 



T X popular magazines and papers one constantly 

 ■^ sees references made to plants possessing names 

 other than the usual English appellations. These 

 names might be described as national, for they are 

 only used locally, in one of the four sections of 

 Britain. iVIany Welsh names of plants are So well- 

 known as to be used continualh', but generally in 

 cases having reference to plants with some special 

 interest in relation to Ireland, the Irish name is 

 omitted, while the Welsh is given. Whether this is 

 due to want of knowledge or access to works on the 

 subject, I cannot say, but such a collection of names 

 might prove useful, if published in a widely circulated 

 magazine like Science-Gossip. I have therefore 

 prepared a list of some of these, collected so far a.v I 

 have been able up to the present time. They are 

 entirely belonging to the Phanerogams, and the 

 majority of the names are from old sources, and I 

 believe correct. Some plants have one, others two or 

 more Irish names, some include under one name 

 more than one species of the same family, and in a 

 very few cases, I have not been able to identify the 

 Irish name and that corresponding in English, with 

 any family or species, as will be seen by the occasional 

 notes made in the list. 



Clanabhar mona, Siodamona. Eriophoritm 7'ag)- 

 naluni. cotton grass. 



Biorrach Lachan. Sparganiiiin siiiiphx. reed grass. 



Breallan. Raidhleadh. Lolhtm pcretDie. ryegrass. 



(Jnnakes. Hordeiuii praletise. meadow-barley. 



Briumseau fiothran. Tritiiuin repens. couch grass. 



Leadan. Dipsarus syh'cstns. teazle. 



Wrachalach. (Ireim a diabhail. Scabiosa succisa. 

 devil's-bit scabious. 



Caba desan. Scabiosa ayt'i^nsis. corn scabious. 



Cruach phadruig. Planlago major, greater plantain. 



Slan luo. Plan/ago lanceo/ala. rib-wort. 



Balath Enis, Cuchullon. Galium venim. lady's 

 bed straw. 



Luso Garabh, Airmeirigh. Galium aparine. 

 goose-gra.ss. 



Heathach buidhe. Althemilla ai~'ciisis. lad)''s 

 mantle. 



Duileasgnahahhan, Liach Briada. Potamogeloii 

 natans. pondweed. 



Cuilen. Ilex aquifoliiim. holly. 



Lus niide. Myosofis arvensis. scorpion grass. 



Teanga con. Cyno<(lossiim montanuru. hound's 

 tongue. 



Lusna Canabh brisde. Syinphytttm officinale. 

 comfrey. 



Barraiste, Bug-glas. Borago officinalis, borage. 



Baine bo bleacht, Leichgheirgin. Primula veris. 

 cowslip. 



Bonain Ponra curraigh. Menyanllies trifoliata- 

 buckbean. 



Seamar muire. Lysimachia vulgaris, loosestrife. 



Falcaire fiodhain, Falcaire fuar. Anagallis ai~oensis. 

 scarlet pimpernel. 



Cuineal muire. ] 'iirbasciwt thapsus. mullein. 



Gaffan, Caoch na cceare. Hyoscyamus niger. 

 henbane. 



Slatgoruni, Fuath ghorm. Solanum dulcamara. 

 bitter-sweet. 



Cas fachrann, Fealhlead. Loniccra pcriclymcnum. 

 honeysuckle. 



Eadhan Eadhadnan. PIcdcra hcli.x. iv)-. 



Dreimire muire. Erythraea ccii/aurium. common 

 centaury. 



Praiseach brathar. Chcnopndium houus-lunncus. 

 All-good. 



An liubh Biatas. sea beet. Doubtful to what 

 Latin order it belongs, probably Beta vulgaris. 



Ailm no Crannailne. C'lmus camfesiris. elm. 



