THE FIELD WORK Ixxxiii 



C. — Of the remaining 22 divisions, 100 species per division would 

 have been a high estimate of the average number of plant-records 

 available. Of some of these divisions, such as North-east Galway, 

 King's County, Meath, East Mayo, and Monaghan, the flora was 

 almost totally unknown. 



Again, the flora of an average Irish county-division might be 

 reckoned at 600 to 700 species. Of these, say 100 would be rare or 

 local species, few of which one could hope to meet in the course of a 

 rough and hasty survey such as alone it would be possible to carry 

 out, considering the many divisions to be explored, and the small 

 number of workers. Thus 500 to 600 species per division was left 

 as the available maximum to be aimed at, and I felt that publication 

 might be undertaken if a minimum of 500 species per division could 

 be shown — Watson published " Topographical Botany " when for 

 nine vice-counties no information was available but scattered notes 

 of rarer plants. 



Out of 20,000 county-records required (500 species in 40 divi- 

 sions), it appeared from the summary given above that about 8000 

 were available in 1895, leaving about 12,000 to be got together by 

 means of field-work. In addition, it was desirable that many old 

 records which were included in these 8000 should be replaced by 

 others of recent date ; so that 15,000 might be taken as the number 

 of new records required to make the county-lists reasonably com- 

 plete and up-to-date. Dr. Scully had been in recent years working- 

 out the distribution of plants in Kerry (divisions 1 and 2), Mr. 

 Phillips in Cork (3, 4, and 5), and Mr. Colgan in Dublin (21), and 

 from these six divisions there was therefore hope of obtaining full 

 lists of recent date. For myself, I was willing to devote my holidays 

 for five years to the work, which, taking 40 days per annum as the 

 available total, would give 200 days field-work. Careful consi- 

 deration showed that, with the assistance which I might hope to 

 receive in other directions, there was reason to think that the end of 

 five years might see the stipulated 500 species on record for each of 

 the 40 divisions. The sequel has shown that these expectations 

 were well founded. Only one county (Monaghan, 477 species) falls 

 below the stipulated 500, and that on account of an accident ; while 

 the average number of plants now recorded for the 40 divisions is 628 



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