Barrington — On the Flora of the Blashet Islands. 371 



but I gathered strong and luxuriant specimens of Sax. umlrosa on the 

 northern cliffs of the large island. At the entrance to Dingle Harbour 

 Mr. A. Gr. More informs me he has gathered large and strong forms of 

 Sax. geum. Saxifraga umhrosa was not observed on the southern side 

 of either Innishvicillane, Innishtooskert, or the Great Blasket — the 

 three islands on which it was noticed. 



Symenophyllum unilaterale ( Wilsoni) Mr. Andrews met with on the 

 Great Elasket " in rich abundance." ^ It can scarcely be called abun- 

 dant, seeing that I only gathered it in one spot on the northern cliffs 

 of the island. 



Roccella fuciformis, a very rare and local lichen, is recorded by 

 Mr. Andrews from the Tearaght Eock.* The late Dr. David Moore 

 always considered that a large form of Ramalina scopulorum had been 

 mistaken for it.^ It is much to be wished that some competent 

 cryptogamic botanist should visit the Tearaght, and set the matter at 

 rest. 



Cerastium arvense, var. Andretvsii (Syme), was also gathered by 

 Mr. Andrews on the Blaskets. This variety I noticed in tolerable 

 plenty on Innishvicillane, Innishnabro, and the Great Blasket, and it 

 is the only form which occurs. 



The occurrence of Lavatera has been already referred to. It 

 appears to have escaped Mr. Andrews' attention. 



Suaeda maritima, a species classed by Mr. "Watson, in his Cybele 

 Britannica, under the littoral zone, grow on the Tearaght between 

 400 and 500 feet above the sea-level. It occurs on the rocky face of 

 the cliffs, and I did not gather it on any of the other islands. The 

 waves around the Tearaght rise so high, that no plants can grow much 

 below 150 to 200 feet. 



Euphrasia officinalis does not assume that stunted form, with thick 

 fleshy bracts and leaves packed close together, which I have noticed 

 on the Islands Achill, Boffin, and Tory, in Ireland, and Staffa, in 

 Scotland. The Blasket specimens are small, but the leaves and 

 bracts are not broader than is usual in the inland form, and they are 

 not succulent. 



While examining the flora of the Blaskets, I took the opportunity 

 of visiting the Skellig Rocks, twenty miles to the south, the only 

 Irish breeding-place of the Gannet, and gathered twenty-three species 

 on the Great Skellig. Here I observed a luxuriant form of Cochlearia 

 officinalis, with large and strongly-reticulated pods. On the other 

 hand, a variety of the same species, approaching var. alpina (Bab.), 

 was gathered on the Great Blasket. 



Landing on the Blaskets on Friday, July 16th, I left on the 

 following Tuesday afternoon, having visited all the islands, except 

 Beginish, which is flat and small in area, and of little interest. Alto- 



* Proceedings, Dub. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. ii. p. 173. 



* Proceedings, Bub. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. i. p. 82. 



* Fide Mr. A. G. More, who discovered Roccella tinctoria in tlie Isle of "Wight, 



». I. A. PROC, SEE. II. TOL, III. — SCIENCE. 2 H 



