Clare Island Survey — General Introduction and Narrative. ± 3 



the survey the marine area surrounding Clare Island ; this led to a frequent 

 wide dispersal of workers over the district stretching from Achill to Killary, 

 and from Clare Island to Castlebar. The limit of the district was extended 

 as far eastward as Castlebar, in order to bring in, for comparative purposes, 

 a piece of the limestone country of the Central Plain of Ireland. The chief 

 centres used for work on the mainland were Achill Sound, Westport, Belclare, 

 and Louisburgh. Achill Island was worked for many groups. Inisbturk, 

 Caher Island, and Inishbofin were worked for Moliusca, Phanerogamia, 

 Archaeology, &c. ; and some outlying rocks difficult to approach, such as The 

 Bills and Mweelaun, were also visited. In the marine area much shore- 

 collecting was carried out on Clare Island and round Clew Bay and Achill 

 Sound ; and dredging operations, otherwise carried on from open boats, were 

 much advanced by several visits of the Fisheries steamer " Helga." 



It is worthy of mention that the authors of the whole series of reports 

 have themselves visited and worked in the district— a fact which adds 

 materially to the value of their remarks on the distributional and ecological 

 problems involved. 



The best thanks of the Committee are due to various public bodies who 

 in practical ways assisted the researches both on the island and on the main- 

 land ; they would like in this connexion to mention especially the Congested 

 Districts Board, the Fisheries Branch of the Department of Agriculture and 

 Technical Instruction, and the Irish Lights Commissioners. By arranging 

 for a detailed examination of the island as regards both its solid and surface 

 geology, during the period of our survey, the Director of the Geological Survey 

 of Ireland supplied us with a mass of important evidence bearing on questions 

 related to local biology, and furnished the materials for the geological 

 description of the island which forms part of the present series. Thanks are 

 also due to the Director of the Boyal Gardens, Kew, and the Keeper of the 

 Botanical Collections in the British Museum, for facilitating visits by members 

 of their staffs who took part in our work ; and to the Director of the National 

 Museum in Dublin for help in the way of apparatus and material. To a 

 large number of private persons, also , the Committee's thanks are due for 

 facilitating in one way or another the work of the last six years ; and they 

 would also thank the numerous scientific men who, on their invitation, threw 

 themselves so energetically into the work of the Survey ; the reports which 

 they have furnished are themselves the best proof of the success of their 

 efforts. 



Generous grants of money made to the Committee at various times by the 

 Boyal Irish Academy, the British Association (administered by a committee 

 consisting of Professor T. Johnson (Chairman), Professor G. A. J. Cole, 



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