1915- 



h ish Societies. 



135 



(which was in abundant flower in quarry pools near Ballymount),and, not 

 least in interest, the London Rocket {Sisymbrium Irio). This last was 

 acx;ounted quite a discovery, the plant being found in remarkable 

 abundance for a distance of probably more than half a mile along the 

 Dolphin's Barn and Drimnagh Road. It has long been accounted a plant 

 with a vanishing tendency about Dublin, and its status here shows some- 

 thing like renewed vitality. The quarry pools about Ballymount proved 

 interesting zoologically as well as botanically, and some leeches, planarian 

 worms, and water mites were captured and bottled, while a large water - 

 beetle (Dytiscus) and a good many other aquatic insects came under 

 observation. The small freshwater leech Helohdella stagnalis has been 

 identified among the captures made. Much interest was aroused at one 

 of the quarry pools by the presence of a small Trout, whose presence at 

 such a place seemed to point to some form of " accidental dispersal." 



NOTES. 



BOTANY- 



Lathraea squamaria in South Dublin. 



In a visit which I made lately to Friarstown Glen I noticed several 

 specimens of Lathraea squamaria growing on the roots of an elm tree. 

 In Mr. Colgan's " Flora of Dublin" it appears to be found in districts 

 " 4," " 6," and " 8," but not in district " 7." 



John A. Palmer. 



Rathmincs, Dublin. 



Peucedanum OstrutMum, Linn. 



Outside of Ulster, very few Irish records exist for this plant. It appears 

 to be one of those, like Myrrhis odorata, which we mainly owe to Scottish 

 settlers, both being held in high repute in old times in regard to their 

 medicinal qualities. In the North-east, Myrrhis is a very familiar plant, 

 and is thoroughly naturalized, but the standing of the Masterwort is 

 more doubtful. I have always been puzzled by the observation of S. A. 

 Stewart on this plant in Flora of the North-east of Ireland " An intro- 

 duced plant, brought with seed, and never permanent." Now, this plant 

 increases mainly by its creeping rhizomes, and occurs (in the North-east) 

 mostly on banks near cottages, where it forms colonies. The circum- 

 stances suggest neither introduction by seed nor temporary occupation ; 

 rather deliberate planting, as in the case of Myrrhis, Tansy, Elecampane, 

 and other medicinal herbs and pot-herbs which are firm -rooting and 

 permanent concomitants of human habitations in the district. These 

 considerations were forced on my mind recently at Hilltown, in Go. Down, 

 where strong colonies of the plant were seen in several spots growing as 

 described. The plant had evidently been introduced by the occupier 

 of the ruined cottage near which it grew, and will certainly persist there 

 unless the banks on which it grows are entirely removed. 



Dublin. 



R. Lloyd Praeger. 



