Hart — Flora of the Mountains of Mayo and Galway. 737 



invariably bring a visitor up some peak, probably Derryclare or Ben- 

 lettery, to obtain bis view of the scenery. In order to understand and 

 properly appreciate these mountains, one should penetrate to the head 

 of these glens and ascend them. Glencoaghan is, perhaps, the finest 

 scenery; while Owenglin will lead the botanist to something worth 

 his trouble. 



Well-known mountains like these, within easy access of good roads 

 and first-rate hotels, and famed far and wide for their scenery, would 

 not be expected to yield fresh matter of interest. I found, however, 

 a detached mountain peak here which was quite a treat to study bota- 

 nically, so well does it illustrate the peculiar tastes of alpine plants, 

 and such an interesting assemblage does it contain. To botanists this 

 mountain has been terra incognita, and I appeal to them and others 

 who may in future visit this locality to be chary of gathering speci- 

 mens. In fact, were it not that my labours are the property of the 

 Academy, and knowing how plants suffer, even to extermination, from 

 the hands of predatory collectors, I would hesitate ere I disclosed my 

 discovery. 



Muckanaght, 2155 feet, is about two and a-half miles south of 

 Kylemore : two other Bens, Benbaunbeg ^ and Benfree, intervene 

 directly in this line, which was the route I took the first time I 

 visited the northern side of Bennabeola. The upper half of this coni- 

 cal peak is disconnected; below that it is joined by necks to Benbaun 

 south on the east, and BencuUagh on the west. From the summit it 

 looks into the heart of Bennabeola on the east, opening up ravine, 

 peak, and ridge in a most satisfactory manner, and is altogether the 

 most picturesquely situated of the group, as well as the best for dis- 

 closing the "lay of the land." On the north it is connected by a 

 ridge at about 1000 feet with Benfree; on the south it slopes in a 

 series of abrupt declivities to the low valley at the head of Owenglin. 

 The rock dips eastwards, exposing similar ledges on the north and 

 south faces. No mountain could be better adapted for exhibiting the 

 rigorous laws which govern the distribution of alpine plants. On the 

 northern face at least a dozen species occur, several of these profusely. 

 Half an hour's scramble will take us round to the south face, to a 

 similar series of rocky declivities, and with the solitary exception of 

 Sedum rhodiola, every alpine plant has disappeared, while lowland 

 species take their place at the same level, several reaching unusually 

 high. The change is remarkably well shown here, since in common 

 with other mountains in the west, the alpine flora of Muckanaght is 

 best developed at a zone of 1300 to 1800 feet, and fails gradually to 

 the summit, so that keeping the same level around the side of the 

 mountain, this gradual disappearance is very striking. Salix herhacea 

 and Carex rigida are exceptions to the above general remark. These 



1 There are two Benbauns in the Twelve Bens ; the northern and smaller one 

 may be called Benbaunbeg. 



