M-tcacece.] APPENDIX. 499 



More, and, finally, by Professor Balfour himself, without a trace of 

 the plant being discoTered. If the two records, separated by an 

 interval of six years, and each of them supported by correctly named 

 specimens, be both erroneous, as they would seem to be, we can 

 only assume that Mr. Bergin was the victim of an imposition, and 

 tbat Professor Balfour's specimens were somehow mislabelled in 

 the Edinburgh herbarium. Such a double assumption has no doubt 

 all the appearance of an ingenious device to explain away very- 

 positive evidence, yet this evidence as it now stands is unquestionably 

 insufficient to justify the admission of M oiliwris to the Irish flora. 



Erica vagans Linn. — Cornish JSeath. 

 II. Islet [error for Islandicane] on the coast of Waterford, near 

 Tramore : Soaker's Brit. Flor. 1842, On the cliffs in the townland 

 of Islandicane west of Tramore, Waterford ; Dr. Burlcitt, {fide the 

 late Br. Ball) : Cyl. 



Never confirmed, though the locality has been carefully examined. 



Erica striata Andr. 

 North of Ireland, 1834 {Br. Lloyi) : Spec, in Serh. Hooher. This 

 is also cited in De CandoUe's Pro3/romus (see Britten in Journ. of 

 Bot., 1872, p. 25). 



A Mediterranean species; the specimen was either mislabelled 

 or gathered ia a garden. 



Ledum palustre Linn. 

 Stated in Hooker's Student's Mora of the British Isles, Ed. III. 

 p, jjjj to have been reported for north-west Ireland, but never 

 confirmed. 



"We have not been able to trace the authority for this report, 

 which is undoubtedly an error, unless it refer to an intentional 

 introduction. 



APOCTJSfACE^. 



Vinca major Linn. — Periwinkle. 



Vinca minor Linn. — Lesser Periwinkle. 

 Both plants are of not infrequent occurrence in Ireland as garden 

 escapes or outcasts ; the latter spreads occasionally to wild-looking 

 stations, and increases rapidly when planted in woods or shrubberies. 



GENTIANEM. 



Erythrsea littoralis Pries. 

 V. Portmarnock sands: Mack. Gat.— ^11. Kocky ground below 



2x2 



