1890-91.] 267 



and friends sallied forth. Among these one-half were ladies, 

 who, to their credit be it said, cheerfully faced the probability 

 of a downpour of rain among the Antrim mountains in the 

 noble cause of science, and subsequently endured rain, wind, 

 and mud with a calm indifference worthy of true naturalists. 

 Leaving Belfast by the 9.5 train, a strong contingent joined the 

 party at Ballymena, where the narrow-gauge railway was taken. 

 The morning had brightened, and a brilliant gleam of sunshine 

 made the hopes of the party rise in spite of falling aneroids ; 

 but as the railway, steadily ascending, allowed views of the 

 more distant hills, an ominous greyness spread across the 

 western sky, and by the time Parkmore was reached rain was 

 falling heavily. Nothing daunted, cloaks and waterproofs were 

 donned, and mounting a well-appointed waggonette, provided 

 by Mr. M'Neill, of Larne, Glenariff was soon reached. No 

 longer in its condition of pristine wilderness, this lovely glen 

 can now be traversed from end to end without difficulty. 

 Without in any way interfering with or destroying the natural 

 beauties of the place, paths have, thanks to the energy of the 

 Northern Counties Railway Company, been constructed along 

 the steep, and in places precipitous sides of the glen, and the 

 beautiful waterfalls and rich luxuriance of verdure can be seen 

 and admired by those who have not that natural propensity for 

 climbing that was previously indispensable. Down in this deep 

 ravine the rain fell more quietly, and interfered but little with 

 the enjoyment of the party. The cascades, swollen by heavy 

 showers on the mountains, were roaring in wild confusion of 

 brown foam among their rocky chasms, and were seldom seen 

 to greater advantage, and the rich vegetation, at all times of the 

 most charming green, was rendered still more vivid by the rain 

 drops that shimmered on every leaf. The luxuriance and 

 variety of the fern world was a point of special comment. 

 Three of our rarer species were noted — the beech fern {Polypo- 

 dium phegopteris), bladder fern ( Cystopteris fragilis), and sweet- 

 scented mountain fern {Lastrea montana). When the glen 

 had been thoroughly explored the party proceeded by road 



