42 Stewart — List of Mosses of North-East of Ireland. 



of Antrim and Deny is peculiarly favourable to their growth. The country is 

 wall watered, and the streams, that originate in the hills, everywhere find their 

 way to the lowlands through little glens that are deep and bushy, affording not 

 only delightful retreats for the lover of the picturesque, but also the very best 

 habitats for these tiny plants. I have yet to learn that there is any happier way 

 of spending a summer day than searching for plants beneath the spray of little 

 cascades ; or, with the melody of running waters in our ears, climbing from 

 crag to crag in the hope of meeting with some of the rare 2nd beautiful forms 

 with which nature has enriched such spots. Our winters being usually very 

 mild, the enthusiastic collector, who is not afraid to wet his feet, can pursue 

 his occupation during the whole year. 



The elevation of the hills is considerable. In Deny and Antrim they rise 

 to 2,000 feet, and the Mourne range of mountains is one of the most important 

 in Ireland. The moss-flora of the district has, however, one defect, there are 

 but few of the species that flourish on limestone to be found here. This is, no 

 doubt, owing to the fact that the Chalk seldom appears as a surface rock, it 

 being usually displayed in steep escarpments of the hills, and in glens where 

 the water has cut through it. In such places it rewards us with several rare 

 species. Of the mosses here enumerated nine are now for the first time re- 

 corded as natives of Ireland ; namely, Hypuum giganteum, Fisstdeus incurvis 

 (Schwaeg), layloria serrata, Mnium subglobosum, Zygodon rupestris, Pottia 

 Httoralis, and Seligeria calcarea, with Weissia crispula and Hypnum resupina- 

 turn, collected long since in the north by Dr. Moore himself, but somehow 

 overlooked by him when preparing his synopsis of the Irish mosses. The 

 whole number here recorded amounts to 238 species : of these I have met with 

 200 myself, and as I do not consider the mere recording of a plant to be en- 

 tirely sufficient (no matter by whom recorded), I have deposited my specimens 

 in the Herbarium of the Natural History Society, at the Museum, Belfast, 

 where they are available for public criticism. It may further be added, that 

 in making up this list all doubtful or suspicious plants have been rejected. 

 Hasty or spurious records are held in abhorrence by all real naturalists, and 

 rigid accuracy has been preferred to an extensive but less reliable catalogue. 



It is to be regretted that the large amount of work done by the late John 

 Templeton, the pioneer of bryology in the North of Ireland, has not been as* 

 certained and duly credited. Owing to the absence of his collection of mosses 

 in Turner's herbarium, and the want of precision in the early records, this 

 cannot now be done. Much still remains to be accomplished, notwithstanding 

 the highly creditable labours of Templeton, Dr. Moore, and others. And 

 although there is a large number of species here recorded, our knowledge of 

 the moss-flora of the North of Ireland is still far from perfect, and the zealous 

 student will doubtless find many species not mentioned. This is more especially 

 to be expected in the case of barren plants, so often passed by, and so frequently 

 difficult of determination. 



