738 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acadetny. 



usually — the former always — reach the summits of whatever moun- 

 tains they occur upon, but they are quite as rigorously confined to 

 the northern and north-eastern faces, where all faces and sides are 

 exposed. Carex rigida, less abundant than Salix, does not occur 

 upon Muckanaght. The following alpine plants grow within a few 

 yards of one another upon this mountain : — 



ThaHctrum alpinum. 

 Sedum rhodiola. 

 Saxifraga umbrosa. 

 S. oppositifolia. 

 S. stellaris. 

 S. coespitosa. 

 Saussurea alpina. 



Hieracium anglicum. \ 

 H. iricum. ( 



Oxyria reniformis. 

 Salix herbacea. 

 Polystichum lonchitis. 

 Asplenium viiide. 

 Lycopodium selaginella. 



In company with these are Meconopsis camhrica, Geum rivale, 

 Crepis paludosa, and Cystopteris fragilis. Of these, three, Saxifraga 

 coespitosa, Saussurea alpina, and PolysticMmi loncliitis, have not been 

 previously found in the Mayo and Galway mountains, and several of 

 the others in only one or two localities. So great a variety of Saxi- 

 frages does not occur on any other Irish mountain. I have included 

 S. urnhrosa doubtfully with them to show this feature, as though a 

 mountain plant, it cannot be considered alpine in the same sense as 

 the others. Immediately below the holly fern is a closely allied form 

 of P. aculeatum. I have noticed these in company before. A similar 

 companionship exists here and elsewhere in Ireland between Asp>le- 

 mum trichomanes and A. viride, so much so that on meeting either of 

 the lowland forms below, the others might almost be expected above 

 if suitable situations occur. One other observation and I have done. 

 As if to heighten and illustrate the different atmospheric conditions 

 of the two sides, a pair of ravens disputed my intrusion on the north- 

 em side in most audacious fashion, while a pair of peregrines have 

 selected the south side for their breeding ground. The raven is at 

 home amongst plants which are abundant in the polar regions, where 

 it also abounds : the peregrine, a more southern bii'd, is in keeping 

 with its surroundings. It is seldom these two species breed alongside 

 of one another, and where they do they are at constant war. Nature 

 has here allotted to each its own fit and suitable domain. 



There is another station for alpine plants amongst the Twelve 

 Bens — Ben Lettery — which has been examined by botanists. This 

 point lies about two and a-half miles south of Muckanaght, across 

 the wide valley at the head of the Owenglin river, and is immedi- 

 ately above Ballynahinch Lake and the public road on the south. Its 

 northern face thus looks out on Muckanaght, and though the southern 

 side and upper parts from the summit to about 1500 feet are ban-en 

 and composed of quartzite, yet below that level schistose rocks, and 

 with them alpine plants, appear. Lycopodium alpinum and ThaHctrum 

 alpinum have been recorded from here by Wade. The latter species 



