394 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



During the month of May, the Snowflake is a most conspicuous object h\ this 

 station, but after that it is completely hidden bj- the dense growth of 

 Phragmites, which reaches 10 to 12 feet in height; and we have found on 

 penetrating this jungle early iu July, in order to obtain some fruiting 

 specimens, that although we had collected the plant here in flower a month 

 before, it was only after a long and troublesome search that even the largest 

 clumps could be located. 



In these Shannon mai-shes Scirpus triquctcr, which in England is found 

 only in the Thames and Anin rivers, and on the Continent has a distribution 

 somewhat similar to that of Leucojum, finds its only Irish habitat. And 

 here also, as well as in the marshes of the rivers Barrow, Nore, and Suir, the 

 rare little brackish-water moUusk PnUidcstrina confusa, confined elsewhere to 

 the Thames and a few other estuaries in the south of England, and some of 

 the rivers of the Mediterranean region, is exceedingly abundant. 



For many miles the land on each side of the Shannon is enclosed between 

 high embankments, inside which Leucojum has not been found, probably 

 because the marshes having been reclaimed for the cultivation of pasture 

 grasses and other crops, all the suitable habitats have disappeared. The 

 margins of the creeks flowing to the Shannon, where it should be found, are 

 closely grazed by young stock. On this subject Air. O'Brien says that it 

 seems to be one of the conditions of the plant's existence that it should 

 come within the wash of the spring tides ; aud in the " Limerick Field Club 

 Journal," 1905, he aptly writes : " Its true habitat is round the bushy creeks 

 ami lagouis at the verges of the tidal marshes — refuges that have been almost 

 abolished by the embankment of the riverain lands, and by ploughing the 

 corcass for com." 



Ill May, 1900, Mr. F. Nicholson sent specimens of Leucojum aestivum to 

 Mr. I'raeger from Killiarry Bog, alwut one mile from Waterfonl, and reported 

 that it had been known here for nearly forty years. Mr. Nicholson informs 

 us it was first gathered here in 1869. We visited this station on the 30th 

 of ilay, 1909, but were tmsuccessful in our search for the plant This 

 season, on the 16th of May, Air. Phillips made another search, and found 

 one large clump. It was growing in a very wet place, and he had to wade 

 to secure a specimen. More planta would no doubt have been seen by 

 Air. Phillips if he had not been pressed for time; for Airs. Wiite of 

 Westmount, Waterford, writes that she and her son went to look for 

 LfHcojum (te.'Uivum in this marsh on the loth Alay, and found it abundant. 

 Airs. White says : " We found a great qnantity not where we found it before, 

 but well into the marsh, and greatly hidden by the grass stems— several 

 large patches, each alxiut a square yard and hundreds of blooms, so it is 



