98 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



Having spent some pleasant days along the coast at Roundstone in- 

 vestigating the botany of that portion of Connemara, we left the pier 

 of that village in a hooker, belonging to the monastery of Roundstone, 

 about eight o'clock in the morning of the 3rd of August. The wind 

 was blowing very sharply from the north-west, and the moment we left 

 the shelter of the land we encountered its full force. We were spee- 

 dily in the following predicament — either having to row back in the 

 teeth of the gale, or taking the chance of our frail mast snapping if we 

 sailed away before it. Our men preferred the latter alternative, and 

 with sail half set, and every third or fourth wave washing completely 

 over us, we bore away for Golam Head, and then across the North 

 Sound, arriving in safety, but in a very sorry plight, into the shelter of 

 Killeany Bay, after a run of five hours, and taking up quarters at the 

 " Atlantic Hotel." The well-meaning proprietors of this little tavern did 

 everything in their power to make us as comfortable as possible. Except 

 on stormy days, fish abounded at our table, chiefly John Dorys, and 

 once, during our sojourn of eleven days, a sheep was killed on the 

 island, and we had mutton for dinner. 



It would be well for the botanist who thinks of visiting these 

 interesting Islands to bring with him, either from Clifden or Galway, 

 a few creature comforts to supplement the meagre fare of the place ; 

 and above all, if he intend to write, or to work with the microscope after 

 sunset, to bring with him a store of good candles. The sufferings that 

 the writer endured while trying to investigate with a half-inch objective 

 some gatherings made near the Holy "Well at Kilronan, were indeed 

 great, the only choice of light being between a farthing dip-candle of 

 the worst description — i. e. with the thickest possible wick and the 

 smallest amount of tallow — and a slender cotton thread lying in a saucer 

 of fish oil. 



The fresh- water gatherings were examined by my friend Mr. W. 

 Archer, and among them he discovered Hydrocoleum thermale (Kiitz.), 

 which exhibited a curious modification of the oscillatoriaceous move- 

 ment common to the group ; for the filaments, confined in the common 

 tube, glided up and down past one another — a movement very different 

 from the ordinary vibration or spiral twisting, so characteristic of the 

 group. 



A large collection of Diatoms made on this occasion has been exa- 

 mined by another friend, the Eev. E. O'Meara, and he informs me that 

 it is the most interesting that he has ever examined : not only is it very 

 rich in well-known forms, but he believes he has, on an examination of 

 only a small portion of the entire gatherings, discovered many new 

 species, and others, though not new species, yet such as have not been 

 detected hitherto in Great Britain or Ireland. 



These diatomaceous gatherings were made for the most part off the 

 forest of algae that will be found between the strand at Porrermore, in 

 Killeany Bay, and the projecting promontory of shaly rock that juts out 

 into the bay below the village of Killeany. They were found adhering 

 to the fronds of Desmarestia ligulata, Chor&aria flag ell if or mis, &c. 



