574 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



numerous ranges of cliffs are safe to climb amongst, and there are 

 few points available for alpine plants that I did not succeed in 

 examining. 



There are several lakes in the Reeks; thirteen fall within the 

 bounds above laid down. Some of these are at considerable alti- 

 tudes, as Cummeenoughter (the ''Devil's Looking-glass") at 2338 

 feet, and Cummeenapeasta at 2156 feet; while, by including Lake 

 Acoose at 500 feet, we have means of comparison at various heights 

 for about 2000 feet of the altitudes at which different aquatic 

 plants can exist. All these lakes I examined ; but the chief haunts 

 of the alpine plants in the Eeeks lie, as a rule, at higher altitudes 

 than even the uppermost of these lakes. 'Bo general rule, except 

 that of height, would guide a botanist to the rarer plants; they 

 occur upon cliffs with various aspects, at both northern and south- 

 ern sides of the chain. Absence of the direct influence of strong 

 sunlight, with moisture, and a sufficiency of cliffs, enable alpine 

 plants to descend to a level more than usually low, as on the cliffs 

 above Lake Auger in the Gap of Dunloe. These latter are amongst 

 the worst, though at the same time most attractive, cliffs, to climb 

 throughout the Reeks. It will be found, however, that lowland 

 plants ascend to a more considerable height upon the southern than 

 upon the northern flanks of the range. I estimated this difference at 

 a rough average of about 500 feet. 



The most inviting ground for a botanist lies perhaps amongst the 

 cliffs south of Lough Eagher, at the head of Cumloughra. There is, 

 however, a high valley, or rather series of coombs, to the north of 

 Lough Googh, which is more alpine in its botanical facies than any 

 other point of the Reek. Most of the alpine plants of the range grow 

 here to perfection, while numerous grottos shelter a luxuriant growth 

 of ferns, which are, I think, inaccessible enough to be tolerably safe 

 from the depredation of collectors. A good colony of holly fern was 

 here discovered, while green spleenwort and brittle fern are every- 

 where abundant. 



The variable Drain incana is also to be gathered here, and several 

 saxifrages are very common. The amphitheatre of cliffs around the 

 "Devil's Looking-glass" is attractive ground for explorations also. 

 In the upper margin of these precipices Aira caespitosa, var. aljjina, a 

 viviparous form, not previously recorded in Ireland, but known on 

 the Scottish Highlands, is frequent.^ I have gathered this form also 

 upon Baurtregaum in the Slieve Mish range, west of Tralee, at 2200 

 feet, and upwards. From the crest of these cliffs westward, above 

 the ''Looking-glass," the view obtained, as one looks across the 

 lonely tarn below, through a vista opening up the Hag's Glen, and 

 its towering precipices surrounding its two lakes, stretching far east- 

 ward amongst heights and peaks across a broad valley, to be closed up 



See under Aira at 3100 feet, 2'>ost. 



