IxiT 



INTEODUCTION. 



peat-bogs and numerous lakes. Tte eastern stores of tlie great 

 Shannon river-expansions, Lough Eee and Lough Derg, belong to 

 this district, and in Westmeath are the smaller lakes, Ennel, 

 Derevaragh, and Owel. The south-western extremity is moun- 

 tainous or hiUy. Here Slievekimalta or Keeper mountain rises to 

 2278 feet, Mauherslieve, to 1783 feet, and the Devil's Bit, to 1683 

 feet. Its strictly inland position and the absence of any elevated 

 mountain region of considerable extent combine to make this the 

 poorest of all the Ixish botanical districts, though, no doubt, 

 further exploration will add many species to its flora. There are 

 but three pectiliar species ; Highland type plants are reduced to 4 

 and Hieraoia to 3. The most salient botanical feature of the dis- 

 trict is, perhaps, the abundance of certain species characteristic of 

 marshes and wet peat-bogs, yet rare in many parts of Ireland, such. 

 as Stella/ria palustris, Lathy rus palustr is, Qalium uliginosum, Vacci- 

 nium Oxy coccus, Andromeda Polifolia, Ca/rex teretiuscula and C. filir 

 formis. 



Stellaria palustris. 

 Lathyrus palustris. 

 Saxifraga Hirculus. 

 Ciouta virosa. 

 Galium boreale. 

 G. uliginosum. 

 Inula salicina. 

 VacoiniumVitis-Idaea. 



Characteristic or Rare Plants. 



Vaccinium Oxyoocous. 

 Andromeda Polifolia. 

 Pyrola rotundifolia. 

 Teucrium Soordium. 

 Ceratophyllum demersum. 

 Hydrocharis Morsus-ranse. 

 Cephalanthera ensifolia. 

 Ophrys musoifera. 



Lemna polyrhiza. 

 Potamogeton Friesii. 

 P. 61iformis. 

 Carex teretiuscula. 

 C. paradoxa. 

 Ghara tomentosa. 

 C. demidata. 

 Kitella tenuissima. 



DISTEICI Vin. NOETH ATLANTIC. 



West Galway, West Mayo} 



Area, 2146 sq. zml^s.—Flora, 698 species and sub-species. 



Maritime. A district of mountain, lake, and bog, with a very 

 broken rocky coast and numerous islands and islets. Mweelrea, at 

 the mouth of the striking fiord, known as Killai-y Harbour, rises to 

 2688 feet ; Nephin, farther north, to 2646 feet ; Croaghpatrick, or the 

 Eeek, near Westportj to 2610 feet; Ben Baun, in the Twelve Bens 

 to 2396 feet ; Slieve More, in AoHU Island, to 2204 feet; and numer- 



' Mayo is divided into East and West by Lough Mask, and the course of the 

 river AiUe thence the line passes through Castlebar, descending through Lough 

 CuUenandbytheriverMoytotheseaatBallina. & 5 6 



