Botany In Down
The Mourne Mountains occupy the southern end of Co. Down, and form a bold and picturesque mass rising in Slieve Donard to 2796 ft. They are composed of granite lapped round by Silurian rocks. The higher hills lie towards the north-east, and here also is situated Tollymore Park, which is good ground for the botanist. Newcastle forms the, best centre. The flora of the slate is rather richer than that of the granite. The plants of the district include Meconopsis cambrica, Sanssurea alpina, many Hieracia including senescens, hibernicum, and argenfeum, Cryptogramme crispa. On thehigher grounds Sa.xifra.ga stellaris, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea, Salix herbacea, Listera cordata, Juniperus nana, Lycopodium alpinum are characteristic. Several picturesque 
tarns lie among the hills, and yield Lobelia Dortmanna and Isoefes lacusfris. An interesting hybrid Horsetail, Equisetum Morale (E. arvense x limosum) has one of its few Irish stations by the Bann River above Hilltown.
The lacustrine avifauna of Ulster is important, as the large lakes, such as Lough Erne and Lough Neagh, have an abundant bird population. Among the breeding species arc the Tufted Duck, (now widespread), Shoveller, (increasing) ; Common Scoter, (recently found breeding on Lough Erne) ; Red-breasted Merganser (frequent; also on marine islands) ; several species of Gulls and Terns; Oyster-catcher (breeding on Lough Neagh) ; Great Crested Grebe, (frequent) ; and Red-throated Diver (one breeding station).
In Down, the fine-grained granites from the southern end of the Mourne mountains are exceptionally good. In the north of Co. Down (Hotels, Down, Ireland) Silurian grits and basalts are much used for the roads, and at Bally- gowan fine-grained dark grits 
are made into setts, which are much used in Belfast. Setts are also made from basalt at Dundonald.