“It is a happy effect of extreme mildness and moisture of climate, that
most of our hills (in Ireland) are covered with grass to a considerable
height, and afford good pasturage both in summer and winter. The grasses
most abundant are the dogstail, (cynosurus cristatus,) several species
of the meadow grass, (poa,) the fescue, (festuca duriuscula and
pratensis,) and particularly the sweet-scented vernal grass,
(anthoxanthum odoratum,) which abounds in the dry pastures, and mountain
sides; where its withered blossoms, which it is remarkable that the
cattle do not eat, give a yellowish brown tint to the whole pasture. Our
bog lands are overrun with the couch, or fiorin grass, (agrostis
stolonifera,) several other species of the agrostis, and the aira. This
is, indeed, the country for a botanist; and one so indefatigable as
yourself, would not hesitate to venture with us across the rushy bog,
where you would be so well rewarded for the labour of springing from one
knot of rushes to another, by meeting with the fringed blossoms of the
bog-bean, (menyanthes trifoliata,) the yellow asphodel, (narthecium
ossifragum,) the pale bog violet, (viola palustris,) both species of the
pinguicula, and of the beautiful drosera, the English fly-trap,
spreading its dewy leaves glistening in the sun. I could also point out
to you, almost hid in the moist recesses of some dripping rock, the
pretty miniature fern, (trichomanes Tunbridgensis,) which you may
remember showing me for the first time at Tunbridge Wells: the osmunda
lunaria and regalis are also to be found, with other ferns, mosses, and
lichens, which it is far beyond my botanical skill to distinguish.--The
man of science, to whatever branch of natural history his attention is
directed, will indeed find never-failing sources of gratification, in
exploring paths, hitherto almost untrodden, in our wild country.
Scarcely a county in England is without its peculiar Flora, almost every
hill and every valley have been subject to repeated, scientific
examination; while the productions of nature, so bountifully accorded to
poor Ireland, are either unknown or disregarded.”