igjo. Bullock-Webster, -^'cmt; Charophylc Notes, 1919. 55 



SOME CHAROPHYTE NOTES, 1919. 



BY CANON G. R. BULLOCK-WEBSTER, M.A., F.L.S., F.R.M.S. 



Last summer, accompanied by a friend, I paid a visit to 

 Achill Island (July 22-August i), attracted by the 

 promising series of lakes which lie near the shore, especially 

 along the northern coast line. Mr. Lloyd Praeger's admirable 

 notes on the " Flora of Achill Island " (Irish Naturalist, 

 vol. xiii.) seemed to show that the island had been 

 exhaustively explored by him, but I was sanguine enough 

 to hope that by devoting exclusive attention to the 

 Charophytes, and with the aid of boat and drag it might 

 be possible to bring to light some interesting species not 

 hitherto detected. 



We were favoured with fine, still weather and bright 

 sunshine, conditions very favourable for the examination of 

 subaqueous vegetation. Beginning my record with the 

 lakes on the north east of the island, Loughs Nambrack 

 and Gall were the only lakes which yielded any Charophytes. 

 The other lakes of the neighbourhood seemed to possess 

 little or no vegetation. Loughs Doo and Shruhill are 

 invaded by sea water at high tides and so is one of the 

 little lakes adjoining Dooniver Strand. The little island 

 of Inishbiggle, separated from Achill by the narrow channel 

 of Bull's Mouth, possesses a dozen or more small pieces of 

 water, but all these are situated in peat areas with 

 peat banks and dark peat water in which little vegetation 

 seems to flourish. 



Lough Nambrack yielded along its north and west 

 shores an abundant growth of Chara aspera and C. contraria, 

 also, much less abundantly, C. aspera var. suhinermis and 

 C. delicatula. 



Lough Gall along its north and east shores yielded 

 some scattered plants of the small tufted lake form of 

 C. delicatula, and also a few decaying specimens of Nitella 

 opaca. 



The lakes on the west side of the island, lying in deep 

 rocky beds with rock and boulder bottoms, appeared almost 



