Stewart — On the Flora of the West of Lough Erne. 531 



LXXIY. — Repoet ox the BoiAirr oe the MouxTArN-ous poetio::^' of 

 Co. Peemats^agh to the avest op Lotjgh Eene, a.s'd the adjoentikg- 

 disteict of Co. Cavais". By Samuel Alexa'N'dee Stewakt, Fellow 

 of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, Curator of the Collections 

 in the Museum of the Belfast !N'atural History and Philosophical 

 Society. 



[Eead, February 27, 1882.] 



The region to which this Eeport has reference is included in two 

 counties, Cavan and Fermanagh, and lies near the western extremity 

 of District X. of the " Cybele Hibemica." That portion of Fer- 

 managh situated near the western and south-western boundaries of 

 the county possesses a more diversified surface than the eastern 

 portion, and the numerous ranges of hills attain a much higher 

 elevation. Even here, however, except where it adjoins Cavan, it 

 can scarcely be called mountainous, but rather hilly and rocky. 

 At Drumbad, near Lough Melvin., on the extreme west of Fer- 

 managh, there is an elevated plateau, extending for several miles, 

 where the hill-tops rise, in places, to over 1000 feet. This is the 

 northern end of a system of hills and highlands that stretches 

 southwai'ds to Lough Macnean, and the borders of county Cavan, 

 culminating in Belmore Mountain, near Belcoo. Belmore has an 

 altitude of 1312 feet, while several other summits, at this end of 

 the range, attaia to heights of 1000 to 1200 feet. On passing over 

 the boundary, and entering the north-west side of Cavan, the coun- 

 try becomes more decidedly mountainous ; several summits approach 

 2000 feet, and Cuilceagh exceeds that altitude. The rock strata consist, 

 at the lower levels, of carboniferous limestone, rising to somewhere 

 about 1000 feet; the rock being, in many places, exposed in low 

 cliffs and crags, which often impart a picturesque aspect to scenery 

 otherwise tame. Superimposed on these rocks we find, at higher 

 elevations, thin beds of black shale, capped by massive, thick -bedded, 

 sandstones and grits, forming a series of bare, bleak, uninviting 

 mountains, unproductive alike to the botanist and the agriculturist. 

 Though the Shannon has here its origin, yet there is no river of any 

 magnitude flowing through the district ; but many small lakes lie in 

 rocky hollows amongst the hills, while more extensive sheets of water 

 stud the surface of the level country in all directions. It will be 

 observed that the number of plants in the present list is not very 

 large, a result which is due to several causes. The district being 

 altogether inland, plants of the seashore, and those that prefer the 

 proximity of the coast, are absent. The number is still further 



