D DUBLIN NATTJHAL HISTOET SOCIETY. 



— if it can be properly called a pouch — is well seen. It is about four 

 inches long, resembling a bag split down one of its sides, and with the 

 edges lying in apposition. I must beg of the Society to excuse any er- 

 rors into which I may have fallen in my observations, for my acquaint- 

 ance with natural history is necessarily very limited, but it happens 

 that I have occasionally favourable opportunities of observing the phy- 

 siology and habits of some of our fishes in confinement, and such ob- 

 servations as I have in my power I feel obliged to this Society for 

 receiving. 



ON THE FERNS OP WEST CLAKE, BEING A LIST OF THOSE GROWING WEST 

 OF A LINE DRAWN NORTH AND SOUTH THROUGH THE TOWN OF TULLA. 

 BY F. J. FOOT, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, IRELAND, CORRESPONDING MEM- 

 BER. 



The ferns mentioned in this list (twenty- two in number) are those grow- 

 ing in the western portion of the county of Clare, that portion being 

 bounded by a line drawn north and south through the town of Tulla. 

 I have not had an opportunity of examining the eastern part of the 

 county ; however, as the western side of Clare has apparently, as yet, 

 been little explored by the botanist, a list of its ferns, with a few re- 

 marks on the most remarkable forms, may prove acceptable. 



Polypodium vulgare, abundant everywhere in shady localities, often 

 on exposed faces of inland cliffs. Yar. y3, serratum. This variety is re- 

 markable in having the pinnae deeply serrated. It remains constant 

 under cultivation. Localities, waU near church of Kihuurry M'Mahon, 

 eastofKilrush; Edenvale demesne, Ennis. Var. 7, Hibernicum. This 

 beautiful variety grows abundantly at Edenvale. It seems to love a 

 shady place ; the margins of the pinnules are deeply serrated. Ee- 

 mains constant in. cultivation. 



P. phcegopteris — "Waterfall, in townland of Glennageer, east flank 

 of Mount Callan, and west of Ennis. 



I had the good fortune to discover P. plicBgopteris last spring in the 

 above locality. The waterfall is about 15 to 20 feet high, and faces the 

 cast. The fei'n grows luxuriantly under the projecting ledge of rock 

 which forms the fall, and also on the side of the gorge or little ravine 

 below. Its chief companions are Osmunda regalis and Last, recurva. 

 It is rather an exposed situation, very different from the shady KiUar- 

 ney locality, west of Tore, and yet I did not see any plants at the latter 

 place as large as some of those which grow at Glennageer. I carefuUy 

 examined all the other ravines in the neighbourhood, but without 

 success. 



Lastrea oreopteris. — Locality — Stream, boundary townlands of Cloo- 

 nulla and Gortnaha, on the north side of the road, about two miles west 

 of Killadysart ; also on the side of tli^ old road south of Clondegad. In 

 the former locality the plant grows in great abundance ; in the latter I 

 only found one plant. It may, I think, be considered rare in this 

 county. 



L.filix mas. — Generally abundant. 



