84 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



of the birds of Rathlin was published by the Academy in 1837/ gave 

 as an addendum a list of the plants observed by himself. This list is 

 meagre ; and as Dr. Marshall, though an excellent ornithologist, "was 

 not a botanist, it is of no Talue in any doubtful case. The " Flora 

 Hibernica," of Mackay, contains only one reference to Eathlin. The 

 plants which have been stated to occur on Eathlin, and which I did 

 not see, are appended at the end of this Eeport. 



In the lists which follow there are enumerated 318 Flowering 

 Plants and Higher Cryptogams, 3 species of Characese, 80 llusci, and 

 10 Hepaticas, all of which were collected or noted by me on the spot. 

 The flora has few plants of much rarity, Potamogeton pseudo-nitens 

 being the only one previously unknown in Ireland. On the other 

 hand, a number of plants hitherto credited to Eathlin must be deleted, 

 notably Prioeaidon septangular e, which was admitted by some unac- 

 countable mistake ; and Cramle maritima, which, according to Temple- 

 ton, grew at Church Bay, is now entirely extinct. A noteworthy 

 feature of .the flora is the great preponderance of common plants, and 

 the paucity of rare species. This is doubtless owing to uncongenial 

 conditions of climate, in conjunction with a rocky surface, covered to 

 a great extent with wet, barren moors. This is a characteristic of 

 the Eathlin flora, which is made very apparent by a comparison with 

 the general flora of Ireland. The range, in Ireland, of the plants here 

 enumerated is known with a considerable approach to certainty, and 

 they may be classed as follows : — 



Found in each of twelve districts of the 

 Cybele Hibernica, 

 in eleven districts, 

 in ten districts, 

 in nine districts, 

 in eight districts, 

 in seven districts, 

 in six districts, 

 in five districts, 

 in four districts, 

 in two districts, 

 in one district, 



207 species. 

 25 

 22 

 23 

 11 



6 



5 



3 



3 



1 



1 



Continuing the comparison, and classing the plants according to the 

 several types established by "Watson, the same result will appear. 

 "Watson's '•'British type," consisting of common plants, generally 

 diffused throughout Britain, is represented in Eathlin by 265 species, 

 an undue proporcion. 



1 " Notes on tlie Statistics and Natural History of the Island of Eathlin," by 

 James Drummond Marshall, M.D., "Eoyal Irish Academy Transactions," xvii., 

 part 3, Antif[uities (1837). 



