Hart — On the Botany of the Galtee Mountains. 395 



in one place about 20 feet below the summit of Galtymore, and 

 ranges eastward from tbat to the Muskry cliff. This alpine plant 

 chooses the cracks and fissures in bare and wind-blown summits, 

 despising the moisture and shelter which the others seem to require. 

 After a few more hours' climbing we come in view of Lough Borheen 

 (1700 feet). The vegetation around this lake is less alpine in charac- 

 ter than that of the others, and around its shores many fresh lowland 

 species occur, o,^ Bellis perennis, TrifoUiim pratense, T. arvense, Leontodon, 

 Taraxacum, &c. At the northern corner, and down to the level of the 

 lake, Asplenium viride and Saxifraga hirta, \aT.platypetala; and here, 

 for the first time, we gather the London Pride Saxifrage [Saxifraga um- 

 hrosa), which is a truly alpine plant upon the Galtee range, although 

 it does not extend westward to Galtymore. Eastward of Lough Bor- 

 heen it becomes abundant ; near this lake, too, about a quarter of a 

 mile east, we find Vaccinium Vitis-idcea for the first time. It appears 

 again at Lough Muskry. 



Having explored this coomb and its surroundings, we will pursue 

 our line of march, keeping along the high ground which breaks at 

 length into the magnificent range of cliffs above Lough Muskry. I 

 spent a long day climbing amongst their numerous clefts and ledges, 

 the cliffs themselves towering to a height of about 1200 feet in vast 

 verdant walls and terraces to the north and north-east of the lake. 

 With the exception of Arabis and Saussurea, the alpine plants re- 

 appear here in great profusion. Two rarities seem peculiar to these 

 cliffs, Thalictrum minus and Geum rivale, occurring up to 2000 feet. 

 The most-finely cut leaved form of Saxifraga hirta (i. e. var. genuina) 

 is very abundant here, forming in some places the entire green sward 

 at the base of the cliffs. Several plants also reach an unexpected 

 altitude above Lough Muskry. Carex paniculata grows at the level 

 of the lake (15-00 feet), and above it to a height of 1900 feet. Other 

 lowland plants not before gathered occur around its shores, amongst 

 which a remarkably starved form of Polygonum hydropiper may be 

 mentioned. 



"We will make a descent from here into the Vale of Aherlow, and 

 Tepeat the same observations upon the upper and lower limits of the 

 two groups of plants, lowland or mountain. On this part of the 

 Galtees we gather Sarothamnus scoparius and Lastrea cemula, on the 

 borders of an extensive plantation, at about 800 feet altitude. The 

 fern is scarce on the Galtees, but it occurs also on the southern side at 

 about 1200 feet, A few other plants of no special interest are added 

 to the list ; and bearing upwards and to the east again, we will follow 

 the range, down to Caher. Along the crest of the cliffs above Lough 

 Muskry, at about 2600 feet, JEmpefrum nigrum, Lycopodium selago, 

 Saxifraga stellaris, and S. umhrosa occur : soon these latter three dis- 

 appear, and the usual mountain plants are alone to be met with. 

 The eastern extremity of the range is very barren ; some points and a 

 considerable extent on their flanks being entirely free from vegeta- 

 tion — a desolate waste of sandstone and conglomerate dihris. 



R. I. A. PKOC, SER. n. VOL. III. — SCIENCE. 2 L 



