Wild Connemara. By Dr Charles Stuart. 209 



tufts of Asplenium trichomanes and Ceterach officinarum. The 

 Wall-rue fern is in general, as seen in Scotland, a very dwarf 

 plant. The fronds here were very luxuriant, so much so that 

 they resemhled Asplenium Germanicum. A small form of Salix 

 Helix, rambled over these walls, dwarfed from want of nourish- 

 ment, and was a very pretty plant in this minute form. The 

 weather was very warm,causing considerable fatigue, although we 

 had only done a moderate walk. As we proceeded along we met 

 many passengers on stout ponies returning from Westport Fair, 

 their wives and daughters riding pillion behind. They seemed 

 all very happy, and quite sober. On seeing that we were strangers, 

 they saluted us with civility — " a pleasant evening " being often 

 heard. The carriage now picked us up, and we reached West- 

 port in time for a late dinner, after a very pleasant excursion. 



Next morning, 7th August, we left our comfortable quarters, 

 by public car, at 8 a.m., bound for Clifden, about 50 miles off. 

 How two horses ever pulled the conveyance is a mystery, for we 

 were greatly overloaded. The road was very hilly and mono- 

 tonous, winding through bogs and morasses till we reached the 

 sea. Many of the steep parts of the road had to be walked by 

 the passengers, as no horses were able to drag such a dead weight. 



All things come to an end, and eventually we reached 

 Leenane, situated by the sea, and with fine hills behind the 

 hotel, beautifully wooded. Here we rested and had lunch. Our 

 horses were changed, and we proceeded. Many plants were to 

 be seen as we passed along. Leenane Bridge was covered with 

 Ceterach ; the bogs with AnagalUs tenella, Drosera rotundifoUa, 

 D. media, and D. anglica. The ditches held large patches of 

 Hypericum elodes ; and in some places Alisma ranunculoides was 

 visible. Along the roadsides splendid patches of St. Dabeoc's 

 Heath delighted the eye. After passing some dismal swamp, a 

 blaze of Lythrum salicaria, upright Purple Loosestrife, covering 

 a space of twenty or thirty acres, in many shades of crimson, 

 showed what an ornamental plant this is. In ^Scotland we have 

 a few solitary specimens of Salicaria growing in marshy ground, 

 which when in flower attracts the attention. No one, however, 

 has the least idea of its real beauty, till it is seen in Ireland in 

 the immense masses in which it grows in Connemara. Undoubt- 

 edly it is the most ornamental plant in the whole country. 

 Proceeding we reached the entrance to Kylemore Pass, which in 

 many respects may be compared to our Trossachs, and Kylemore 

 iB 



