232 
The Irish Naturalist, 
October, 
NOTES. 
BOTANY. 
Truffles in Co. Limerick. 
I send a specimen of Truffle (I believe Tuber ccstivum\ of which I 
found a considerable quantity a few days ago in a grove in this place 
(Newborough, Patrickswell). They were in groups, and of various sizes, 
slightly protruding over the earth, chiefly under beech trees. One or 
two were found some years ago in the same grove, but never in such 
numbers as at this time. I should much like to know whether they 
are uncommon in this country, and if they can be cultivated ? 
The "find" might perhaps be of interest to the readers of the Irish 
Naturalist. 
E. h. MAUNSKI<Iy. 
Patrickswell, Limerick. 
The Truffle is Tuber cestivum, Vitt. ; it is edible, but is much inferior 
in flavour and aroma to some other species, as Tttber melanosporum. 
Vitt., etc. A French book, entitled "La TrufFe," by A. Chatin, Paris, 
1892, deals with the cultivation of the various species of edible truffles. 
Numerous attempts have been made to cultivate truffles in this country, 
but the result has never proved satisfactory. 
George Massee. 
Kew. 
The Calcareous Deposit in Lough Carra. 
With reference to the calcareous incrustation that covers the bottom 
of Lough Carra, to which I drew attention on a previous page (p. 207 
supra), I sent several specimens of the crust to Mr. William West, F.L.S., 
asking him how far algae could be held accountable for its formation, 
and pointing out the curious fact that while deposition of lime was 
going on in L. Carra, the limestone was being dissolved, apparently 
with some rapidity, in the adjoining and, on the whole, similarly 
situated loughs of Corrib, Mask, and Conn, as is witnessed by the 
curious and well-known perforations and pock-markings so charac- 
teristic of the shores of these lakes. In the course of an interesting 
reply, Mr. West writes : — 
** I should say that the peculiar conditions in L. Carra are due pro- 
bably to the much smaller supply of water to it, and from low ground. 
The water will probably be stiller, and may get warmer than the other 
three loughs you mention (dissolved CO2 will then be more readily 
given off). The three other loughs have high hills west of them, from 
which much water will flow into them not saturated with Ca CO3 iu 
