Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/80

 60 oJJ Uhe fiotANicAL Subdivision of irelanU. but also by the welcome visits which we have had during the past two seasons from quite a number of the leading field botanists of England. And if any alteration is to be made in the only county- division scheme that has been put forward, then the sooner it is made the better. Since it was proposed thirty-seven years ago, the only published paper in which Babington's county-numbers have been used is that of Messrs. G-roves, already quoted. The scheme, in fact, has not been generally adopted, so that no great incon- venience can result from a revision of the county list ; though, if this scheme had already been used in a number of papers, it would be a question whether the inconvenience of any alteration of the county-numbering would not outweigh the advantages of an im- proved subdivision. These considerations have led me to put forward without further delay the following revised scheme, not without a full enquiry as to the value of each of the alterations which is suggested, and careful consideration of its desirability. It will be most convenient to give the list first, and state the reason for the changes afterwards : — Dublin. Meath. Westmeath. Longford. Eoscommon. East Mayo. West Mayo. Sligo. Leitrim. Cavan. Louth. Monaghan. Fermanagh. South Donegal. North Donegal. Tyrone. Armagh. Down. Antrim. Derry. It may be stated at once that this arrangement differs from that of Babington, first, as regards the subdivision of the counties of Cork, Kerry, Galway, and Donegal ; and secondly in the renumbering of the counties and vice-counties according to a different plan. It will be seen that the figures ascend regularly from the extreme south-west of the country to the extreme north-east, the numbering following a backwards-and-forwards line, irrespective of the "pro- vince" boundaries. In working out the above scheme, the following considerations influenced the subdivision of the larger counties : — ■ Natural Boundaries. — Where clearly-defined natural boundaries, botanical, geological, or physical, exist, it is manifestly advantageous 1. South Kerry. 21. 2. North Kerry. 22. 3. West Cork. 23. 4. Mid Cork. 24. 6. East Cork. 25. 6. Waterford. 26. 7. South Tipperary. 27. 8. Limerick. 28. 9. Clare. 29. 10. North Tipperary. 80. 11. Kilkenny. 31. 12. Wexford. 32. 13. Carlow. 33. 14. Queen's County. 34. 15. South-east Galway. 35. 16. West Galway. 36. 17. North-east Galway. 37. 18. King's County. 38. 19. Kildare. 39. 20. Wicklow. 40.