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53.

28th March - 1st April 1953. 

Rather broken weather with heavy showers, some sleet or hail, high W. winds & very hot sunbursts intermixed.  In  spite of general chill garden plants everywhere cheerful after the showers following a dry month, but in the hills grass very scarce & little or no growth, though the Whins - those not burnt on St. Patrick's Day - well in flower up to 1,000ft. 

On 1st April drove to foot of lane above Jobstown, Co. DU., & walked up & over Knocknavea almost to Ballinascorney & back.  Collected some mosses for Miss Thomson off a wall on S. side of the highest point, of which 4 species mounted below.  These taken at about 1,100 feet alt. 

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Bryum capillare.
In large bright green-velvety cushion at base of wall. 

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Grimmia pulsinata old + new fruit
In silvery cushions 1/2 to 2 inches diam. on stones of wall. 

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Grimmia apocarpa.
On stones of wall.

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Fissidens decipiens 
All fide Miss Thomson.
In masses to top of wall facing SW.

Mosses from roadside wall by lane 1/2 mile S. of Tumoling Pool at ca. 1,100 ft. 1.4.53.


54.

April 3, 1953. 

After a cold day & night with heavy showers the hills at 8 AM. this morning were quite white with snow, but continuous hot sun from a blue sky had by noon melted this.  In afternoon drove to W. end of Phoenix Park where left car at White's Gate & walked to food of the Furry Glen & back to car, but saw no bird migrants around the pond:  by this time the sky had clouded over & a strong cold S. wind was blowing, which was S.E. at Harold's Cross on our return home.  An area just W. of the pond in the Furry Glen now railed in & planted - apparently with young Sycamore trees exclusively.  This new plantation extends the length of the pond & bounded at top of the slope by the old mixed plantation from which the surrounding railings have been removed & it thrown open. 


4th April. 

Fresh snow on hills this morning & reported in paper as having fallen in many parts of the country including Killarney & other parts of Kerry.  Received a latter from J.F. Perkins by first post - dated 26th March, but postmarked 2nd April! - with names for two Icks which I had sent him ten days ago.  The first is a Phaeogenid ♀︎ from which I could only run down in Schmiedeknechts's key to Micrope macilenta, but did not believe.