Ixxxii 



INTKODUCTION 



lY.— THE FIELD-WORK. 



If smaller things may be compared to greater, it may be pointed 

 out that a wide difference exists between the method of compilation 

 of the Irish county-lists and that employed in the corresponding work 

 dealing with Great Britain. Watson compiled his " Topographical 

 Botany " from a mass of material, the labour of many botanists, 

 already in his hands, and the author's work consisted in the sorting 

 and arrangement of this matter ; whereas in the present case the bulk 

 of the compiler's task lay in the creation of the necessary records by 

 means of systematic field-work. As the field-work thus carried out 

 constitutes the most extended botanical survey yet made in Ireland, 

 some notes on the circumstances under which it was undertaken, 

 and the means employed in its execution, may be of interest. 



The state of knowledge as regards county-lists in 1895, when I 

 projected " Irish Topographical Botany," may be summarized as 

 follows : — 



A. — Flora well known (say, not less than 400 species) : — 



Chibp Soukces of Information. 

 Allin's Flora (1883). 



Papers by Foot, Hart, Stewart, Corrj', &c. 

 Brit. Assoc. Guide (1878). 



B.A. Guide (1878) ; Hart's "Howth" and "Lambay."- 

 Papers by Barrington & Vowell, and Stewart. 



i Hart's Papers, and Flora (in press). 

 Praeger's Flora (1893). 



Stewart & Corry's Flora (1888) and Supplement to sam& 

 (1895). 



Division. 

 3 Cork West 

 9 Clare 



20 WicMow 



21 Dublin 



33 Fermanagh 



34 Donegal East 



35 Donegal West 



37 Armagh 



38 Down 



39 Antrim 



40 Deny 



B. — Flora partially known (say, 200 to 400 species): — 

 Division. Chief Sources of Information. 



1 Kerry South Papers by Hart, Barrington, Scully, &c. 



2 Kerry North ,, Hart, Stewart, ScuUy, &c. 



12 Wexford ,, Hart, Barrett -Hamilton & Moffat, &c. 



16 Galway West ,, Babington, More, Hart, &c. 



23 Westmeath ,, Barrington & Vowell, Levinge. 



28 Sligo ,, Corry, Barrington & Vowell. 



29 Leitrlm ,, Stewart, Barrington & Vowell. 



