278 
ASPLENIACE.E. 
Yorkshiee. — Mr. S. Gibson informs me that it occurs very 
sparingly on cliffs north of Scarborough. 
In Scotland it is of common occurrence, particularly along 
the eastern coast. The coast of Aberdeen, Fife and Berwick- 
shire may be particularly noticed. On the western coast it is 
either less abundant, or has not been so frequently noticed. 
Some years since I observed it growing sparingly in the vertical 
fissures of the columnar basalt at Staffa, and again more abun- 
dantly, and intermixed with Adiantum-nigrum and Ruta-mu- 
raria^ on the cathedral at Iona. Except in this instance, I 
never recollect having seen it established on a building. 
In the Isle of Man it has been noticed by Mr. Wilson. 
In Ireland its localities are far too numerous to be particular- 
ized. In my rambles in that beautiful country I found it on the 
sea-cliffs whenever I reached the coast : and I believe the Irish 
botanists have observed it in every county that borders the sea. 
I must, however, mention one locality that struck me as remark- 
able ; I allude to the lakes of Killarney. As you skirt the upper 
lake on the way to Kenmare, there is a spot where the rock has 
been blasted by gunpowder, for the purpose of making a good 
carriage-way between Turk mountain on the left, and the lake 
on the right. On this rock the Spleenwort has thoroughly esta- 
blished itself : the plants 
are of small size and ra- 
ther remarkable form, 
and they are not to be 
procured without consi- 
derable difficulty, the 
face of the rock being 
steep, and difficult to 
climb, and the little 
plants very firmly rooted in the fissures. I succeeded after some 
trouble in detaching two specimens, the largest of which is re- 
presented in the margin. I confess I feel rather gratified in the 
belief that while it can escape the eye of no botanist who may 
chance to visit the spot after reading this notice, it will long, 
by its inaccessible situation, be rescued from extermination. 
Mr. W. Thompson, whose valuable memoranda I have so often 
