* 
re 
MR. E. J. LOWE ON SCOLOPENDRIUM VULGARE. 529 
On Discoveries resulting from the Division of a Prothallus of 
Variety of Scolopendrium vulgare, Sm. By EH. J. Loe, 
ELR.S., F.G.S. 
(Read 20th February, 1896. ] 
Ir is desirable to add a few introductory remarks as the 
discoveries described in the present paper have resulted from 
experiments that have been continuous since 1857. 
In 1866 a large collection of crossed ferns was exhibited at 
the Nottingham Meeting of the British Association, and in 
1867 a paper on “ The Abnormal Forms of Ferns (a new method 
of obtaining varieties) ” was introduced to the Dandee meeting 
of the same. 
In 1881 a paper on “Hybrid Ferns” was read at the 
Linnean Society,* but was not printed, Mr. Moore writing: 
“ Botanists will not allow a possibility to cross ferns, though 
somehow I can see you have the blood of each combined.” 
Tn 1888, Colonel Jones and myself read a paper on 
‘‘Abnormal Ferns, Hybrids and their Parents” at the British 
Association Meeting at Bath (see ‘ Annals of Botany’). 
In 1890 at the Fern Conference of the R. Hort. Soc. I read 
another paper on “‘ Hybrid Ferns and Crossed Varieties.” In 
the discussion on this paper, Professor Scott remarked: “If 
the result were really due to multiple hybridization it would 
involve the fertilization of an ovum by several spermatozoids,. 
each contributing somewhat of its own character to the: 
offspring. This supposition contradicted all that was directly 
known as fertilization in ferns, in which it had always been 
found that only a single spermatozoid fused with the ovum.” 
In two papers, viz:—‘ Facts regarding the Prothalli and 
Propagation of Ferns,” and “Ferns and their Multiple 
Parents,”’ were presented to the British Association Meeting at 
Cardiff in 1891, and divided prothalli which had been three 
years in the prothalloid state were there exhibited. 
And, in 1895, a history of all these experiments was published 
under the title of ‘Fern Growing,’ including all these investiga- 
tions to the time when the present microscopical examinations 
discovered new facts, including the certainty that more than 
* ‘Proce. Linn. Soe.’ (1830-82), p. 6. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XXXII. 2M 
