42 Stewart— List of Mosses of North-East of Ireland. 
of Antrim and Derry is peculiarly favourable to their growth. The country is 
welt Watered, and the streams, that originate in the ™^whe^h- 
way to the lowlands through little glens that are deep and bushy, Wording o 
only delightful retreats for the lover of the picturesque, but also the very best 
hMtl for these tiny plants. I have-yet to learn that there is any happier way 
of spending a summer day than searching for plants beneath the spray of little 
cascades- or, with the melody of running waters in our ears climbing from 
“Ig to cmg In the hope of meeting with some of the rare and beaut.fu forms 
with which nature has enriched such spots. Our winters being usually very 
mild, the enthusiastic collector, who is not afraid to wet his feet, can pursue 
his occupation during the whole year. 
The elevation of the hills is considerable. In Derry and Antrim they rise 
to 2 ooo feet, and the Moume range of mountains is one of the most important 
in Ireland The moss-flora of the district has, however, one defect, there are 
but few of the species that flourish on limestone to be found here. This is no 
doubt owing to the fact that the Chalk seldom appears as a suiface rock, it 
being usually displayed in steep escarpments of the hills, and in glens w ere 
the water has cut through it. In such places it rewards us with several rare 
species Of the mosses here enumerated nine are now for the first time le 
corded as natives of Ireland; namely, Hypnum gigankum, F,ss,dens tncurvts 
(Schwaeg) Tavloria serrata , Mnium subglobosum, Zygodon rupestns, Po 
littoral^ and 'sdigtria cakarea, with Wdssia crhpula and Hypnum resufiina- 
turn collected long since in the north by Dr. Moore himself, but somehow 
overlooked by him when preparing his synopsis of the Irish mo,ses. T ie 
whole number here recorded amounts to 238 species : of these I have met with 
200 myself, and as I do not consider the mere recording of a plant to be en- 
tirely sufficient (no matter by whom recorded), I have deposited my specimens 
in the Herbarium of the Natural History Society, at the Museum Belfasf 
where they are available for public criticism. It may further be added, that 
in making up this list all doubtful or suspicious plants have been rejected. 
Hasty or spurious records are held in abhorrence by all rea naturalists, and 
rigid accuracy has been preferred to an extensive but less reliable cata ogue 
It is to be regretted that the large amount of work done by the late John 
Templeton, the pioneer of bryology in the North of Ireland has not been as- 
certained and duly credited. Owing to the absence of his collection of mosses 
in Turner’s herbarium, and the want of precision in the early records, this 
cannot now be done. Much still remains to be accomplished, notwithstanding 
the highly creditable labours of Templeton, Dr. Moore, and others. And. 
although there is a large number of species here recorded, our knowledge of 
the moss-flora of the North of Ireland is still far from perfect, and the zealous 
student will doubtless find many species not mentioned. This is niore especially 
to be expected in the case of barren plants, so often passed by, and so frequently 
difficult of determination. 
