Botany of the Shores of Lough Neagh. 37 



his friend Mr. Stewart, some years ago, that river still remain- 

 ing its only Irish station, it might possibly be mistaken as a 

 lake plant. It was carried from the river to the lake in times of 

 flood. Though producing abundant fruit, much of which must 

 frequently find its way to the lough, the plant did not grow 

 there. So nice was it in its choice of habitat that it occurred 

 only in streams having a rapid current. 



Proceeding, Mr. Davies said that notwithstanding the 

 attention that had been given to the investigation of its flora by 

 those to whom allusion had been made, it might not unreason- 

 ably be supposed that in the case of a lake having an area of 

 over 150 square miles, there were some parts of its margins that 

 had never been thoroughly explored. For a botanist he could 

 conceive nothing more likely to afford profitable enjoyment 

 than to spend a long summer holiday there, to examine its 

 diversified shores, to visit its islands, and to dredge its waters 

 for Characeae and other hydrophytes. The student of nature 

 who found pleasure in mingling with his pursuits matters of 

 human interest would have opportunity. The hardy and 

 intelligent fisherman you met by the way, or who invited you 

 into his cottage for acceptable shelter from a passing thunder 

 shower, would ask you about '' them quare weeds," and impart 

 his views on the affairs in which he took interest. If you fell 

 in with him on the beach at his noontide meal of freshly-caught 

 poUan, cooked on the embers of a wood fire, you were heartily 

 welcome to a share, and he (Mr. Davies) could avouch that those 

 same pollan, cooked after that fashion, and served to you on 

 fresh, cool sycamore leaves, were fish most excellent that would 

 not be lightly esteemed by the most fastidious epicure. He was, 

 moreover, kindly and obliging in other ways, and would deem it 

 no trouble to help you en your way by ferrying you over an 

 intervening stream or inlet. But, however it may have been 

 with him aforetime, he was now not much given to straying along 

 the banks at the "clear, cold eve," or other time of day. 

 His energies were devoted to the care of his nets and the 

 baiting of his lines, to the capture of his pollan and trout and 



