Hart — Flora of the Mountains of Mayo and Gahoay. '7V7 



river, runs a little west of south to Killary fiord ; Tvhile a second, that 

 of Glenummera river, Tawnyard Lough, and Owenduff river, runs 

 east to the Erriff. Between these two valleys and that of the Erriff 

 on the south, none of which are more than 200 feet above sea level, 

 lies a triangular tract of land rising gradually westwards to table- 

 lands, and ridges about 2300 feet. These have no name on the Ordi- 

 nance Map, and other sources gave me choice of Ben Cregan, 

 Cead-na-binnian, or Ben Gorm, to stand for the mass. The third 

 valley is that of Doo Lough, Lough Cullin, and Lough Connel, 

 running north-west, and leading us by low levels to the sea. Be- 

 tween it and the Glenummera, or rather to the north of these valleys 

 lies a mountainous tract, reaching a height of over 2400 feet in several 

 points and ridges, and cut into by valleys, of which the chief is that of 

 the Glen Laur river ; the highest point lies above Doo Lough, and is 

 called by the natives Delphi mountain, while running east from it is a 

 long elevated spur, called Loughty mountain, ending in the Glen Laur 

 valley. As before, the inch Ordinance Map gives no name for these 

 mountains. To the west of Doo Lough valley, and enclosed by it, 

 Killary fiord and the Atlantic, lies Mweelrea fronting the mouth of 

 the fiord and curving in a grand tabular ridge, 2600 feet high, to the 

 north, above two tarns in a coomb at 1200 feet. This ridge bounds 

 a long valley, that of the Owenaglogh river, with an eastward sweep 

 till it terminates in abrupt declivities above Lough Doo and in the 

 black, barren, sunless precipices and gorges of Ascokeerin, around the 

 head of Glencullin. These latter I climbed from base to summit, 

 full of hope, 2000 feet of cliffs, but they yielded no rarities. 



In average weather the scenery here is delightful, and there is 

 much to interest the lover of nature. At the mouth of the Eillary I 

 saw a pair of golden eagles upon two occasions, and choughs, ravens, 

 and peregrines, all were met with. The pass of Delphi and Doo Lough, 

 buried ia the mountains, are the most imposing scenes of wild gran- 

 deur in the west. 



I spent a week amongst these mountains, chiefly at higher levels, 

 of which I made a careful examination. One or two of the lakes at low 

 levels, and the Atlantic coast line, I did not explore, these being 

 somewhat outside my subject. I endeavoured here, however, as in 

 Kerry last year, to obtaia a knowledge of the lowland flora of the 

 immediate neighbourhood with a view to seeing what species are 

 unable to ascend the slopes ; and what mountain plants can, in so 

 tempting a situation, descend to sea level. I will first give an account 

 of the northern section of the Mweelrea mountain group, starting as 

 usual with the highest point. The commoner species are not repeated, 

 but will be enumerated under the highest summit of all, Mweelrea. 

 The alpine species occurring are, Oxyria reniformis, Saxifraya stellaris, 

 S. oppositifoUa, Vaccinium vitis-idcea, Lycopodium alpimcm, Salix 

 herhacea and Carex riyida, the last three and Saxifraya stellaris alone 

 being frequent. The other three occur, together with Cystopterisfrayi- 

 lis, very sparingly in one place only. 



