Pinus Sylvestris 579 
are rare. Mr. T. P. O’Nowlan, a competent Gaelic scholar, has given me the 
following list :’— 
Goose IsLanp, oz/ean gius, in Lough Derg, Co. Tipperary, “island of pines.” 
CLonycooss, c/uain gius, parish in Carlow, north of Borris, ‘‘ meadow or plain 
of pines.” 
MULLAGHANUISH, mullach an gius, near Ashford, Limerick, “hill-top of the 
pine.” 
GarroosE, gardha gius, near Bruree, Limerick, “garden of pines.” 
KNOCKNAGUISH, cnocan an giuis, about three miles north of Kenmare, “little hill 
of pine.” Kwocxnacussy, similar in meaning, is situated about three miles 
south-west of Lough Mask in Co. Galway, “hill of the pine.” 
KNOCKHOUSE, ¢noc gheainas, three miles south-west of Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny, 
‘hill of pines” ; the Gaelic word used here being a local variation of the 
common form. 
Ocuty IsLanp, ozlean ochtaigh, near Roundstone, Co. Galway, ‘pine island.” 
Dromocuty, drom ochtaigh, about three miles north of the tunnel on the 
Kenmare road, Co. Kerry, “pine ridge.” 
Apparently, though the pine tree was centuries ago well known in Ireland, 
there is very scanty evidence as to its existence as an indigenous tree in modern 
times. Everywhere in Ireland the roots of pine trees are often found zz sztu in the 
upper layers of the peat-mosses, showing that forests of pine grew in the peat and 
attained a considerable size. These peat-mosses are probably of late formation.? 
Ray*® quotes Mr. Harrison as an authority for pine “growing wild in the 
mountainous parts of Kerry where the Arbutus grows,” about the beginning of 
the eighteenth century. Smith,* writing in 1761, says that “these trees have been 
much destroyed in recent years ; for, except a small shrub here and there among the 
rocks; there are none standing at present of any large size.” 
Mackay* mentions, in 1825, a solitary pine tree standing near the foot of 
Mount Nephin in Mayo, which was supposed to be the last remnant of the pine 
forest of that county. This tree,® very large and very old, was living in 1866, the 
exact locality being an open bog at Deal Castle, near Crossmolina, at the head of 
Lough Conn, and had been fenced in by the Earl of Arran. 
Hayes,’ writing in 1794, speaks throughout his valuable book of Pzmus sylvestris 
as Scots fir; and evidently in his day all the pines in Leinster at least were the 
product of Scotch seed. 
In France the common pine is never met with growing wild in the plains. It is 
confined in the wild state to the Alps of Savoy, of Dauphiné, and of Provence, the 
1 While the above was passing through the préss, Mr. O’Nowlan sent me a further list, as follows :—Lough Aguse, name 
of two lakes, one near Pettigo, Donegal, and another in Fermanagh; Lough Ayoosy and Aghoos, in Mayo; Cappayuse in 
Roscommon ; Meenaguse in Donegal; Drumgoose and Derrynoose in Armagh ; and Annagoose Lake in Monaghan. 
2 The evidence for this is too large a subject to be entered upon here. In certain peat-mosses no less than three distinct 
forests are discernible, occupying different depths ; and the uppermost forest, always of Pius sylvestris, probably dates from 
historic times. 3 Synopsis Methodica, 442 (1724). 
4 State of the County Kerry, 372 (1761). 5 Catalogue of Plants in Ireland, 83 (1825). 
8 Cybele Hibernica, 277 (1866), 7 Practical Treatise on Planting, 133, 167 (1794). 
III Ss 
