1 2 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



across wider barriers ; and in islands which may have been joined with 

 adjoining areas in comparatively recent times, we may hope to find some 

 beginnings of that differentiation and specialization which are so remarkable 

 a feature of the natural history of oceanic islands. Besides, the close 

 examination of any island is sure to yield important contributions to the 

 biology of the larger region of which it forms a part ; especially since, on 

 account of the limitation of area, an intensive study results which is often 

 specially productive among those more obscure and difficult groups which 

 are apt to be neglected when, on a larger area, a rich fauna and flora 

 prevail. 



It was considerations such as these, as well as the interest attending 

 the exploration, a few years earlier, of the island of Lambay, off the coast 

 of county Dublin, 1 which led to the suggestion early in 1908 that an 

 organized natural history survey should be carried out on one of the islands 

 lying off the west coast of Ireland. Following on this, a meeting of Irish 

 naturalists, summoned by circular sent to persons likely to be interested, was 

 held in the National Museum in Dublin, on April 13, 1908. At this meeting 

 Clare Island was selected as the scene of operations, and the following were 

 appointed a committee to carry out the work : — Dr. E. F. Scharff (Chairman), 

 B. M. Barrington, N. Colgan, Prof. G. A. J. Cole, Eev. Canon Lett, and 

 E. Lloyd Praeger (Secretary). The selection of Clare Island was influenced 

 by its suitable size, position, and unusual elevation as compared with most 

 of the western islands ; it lay sufficiently far off the coast to raise interesting 

 problems as to the immigration of its fauna and flora, but not so far as to 

 introduce delay and expense to the working parties owing to precarious 

 communication with the mainland ; also it was possible on Clare Island 

 to procure accommodation for working parties without outlay on building. 

 With the kind permission of the Congested Districts Board, a large shed 

 close to the harbour and little hotel was fitted up as a laboratory. 



Owing to the British Association meeting in Dublin in the autumn of 

 1908, work on the island was not commenced until the following spring. 

 After the latter date, parties of workers, numbering from six to sixteen, were 

 sent down at about monthly intervals between April and September. In 

 addition, a large number of workers visited the island separately, and there 

 was no month of the year during which observations of some kind were not 

 carried out. It had been agreed to work the adjoining, mainland and islands 

 so far as time and opportunity permitted, and also to include in the scope of 



1 Contributions to the Natural History of Lambay, County Dublin. "Irish Naturalist, " xvi, 

 pp. 1-112, plates i-xxv, 1907. 



