Ixviii INTEODirCTION. 



Characteristic or Rare Plants. 



Thalictrum alpinuin. Caram verticillatum. Cephalanthera ensifolia. 



Trollius europisus. Ligustioum scoticum. Typha angiistifolia. 



Corydalis clavioulata. Saussurea alpina. Zostera nana. 



Cardamine amara. Arctostaphylos Pva-ursi. Eriocaulon septangulare. 

 Draba incana. Pyrola media. Carex aquatilis. 



Silene acaulia. Mertensia maritima. Elymus arenarius. 



Elatine hexandra. *VerOnica peregrina. Trichomanes radicans. 



Vioia lathyroides. Bartsia viscosa. Adiantum Capillus- Veneris. 



Dryas octopetala. Melampynim sylvatieum. Cryptogramme crispa. 

 Saxif raga oppositifolia. Orohanche rubra. Aspidiuni Lonchitis. 



8. aizoides. Polygonum viviparum. Ec[msetum pratense. 



Epilobiumanguatifolium. Euphorbia hiberna. Lycopodium alpinum. 



DISTEICT XII. TOSTEE COAST. 



Down, Antrim, Berry. 



Area, 2862 sq. miles — Flora, 816 species and sub-species. 



Maritime, with large areas of mountainous or HUy country. The 

 great development of the basalt in Antrim and Deny distinguishes 

 this from aU the other Irish botanical districts. Some 1200 square 

 miles are covered by a vast sheet of this volcanic rock which, in some 

 places, has a thickness of more than 1 000 feet. The chief summits 

 of the basaltic region are Mullaghmore, 1825 feet, Ben Bradagh, 

 1536 feet, and Ben Evenagh, 1260 feet, in Derry; with Trostan, 

 1817 feet, Slievenanee, 1782 feet, Divis, 1567 feet, and Agnew's 

 Hill, 1558 feet, in Antrim. The famous Giant's Causeway and the 

 fine columnar sea clifEs of Bengore and Fair Head, in North Antrim 

 belong to this formation. The highest, summits in the district are 

 found in the south-east in the picturesque granite massif of the 

 Moume mountains with Slieve Donard, 2796 feet ; SHeve Comme- 

 dagh, 2512 feet; Slieve Bingian, 2449 feet; and Slieve Beamagh, 

 2394 feet. Chalk, underlying the basalt, appears in many places 

 along the Antrim coast and on Eathlin Island, but has no true out- 

 crop and no influence on the flora. The northern and eastern shores 

 of Lough IsTeagh belong to the district. There are no other lakes 

 of any importance, and the only considerable rivers are the Bann 

 and the Lagan. Though by its position not on the whole so 

 northern as District XI., the flora of this district has perhaps a more 

 northern character. It has, indeed, but 29 Highland type plants to 

 30 in Donegal; but this deficiency is counterbalanced by the greater 



