2M PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



coquettishly turn off, and sail slowly away ; he immediately would follow, but after 

 a short pursuit, would return, as if in dudgeon, to his old beat, on which she would 

 begin her old circle-sailing and teasing of him. Sometimes another fish would 

 intrude on him while thus engaged, when an instant chase would occur. If the 

 fish were a gudgeon, I remarked he as often let them alone as chased them. If 

 this chase lasted too long the hen would sail off for deep water, and then it was his 

 turn to follow her and bring her back, darting backwards and forwards in the most 

 ludicrously-distressed manner possible ; and when he found her, pretending not to 

 see her, but keeping aloof — a proceeding she did not at all seem to relish — as she 

 began her old circle -sailing immediately. Neither this male pinkeen nor that first 

 mentioned would allow a second female, on any pretence, near the nest, chasing 

 them away even more rancourously than the males — from which, I believe these 

 fish to be strictly monogamous, though authors state the contrary. I could not 

 remark the fishes in their contest using any other weapon than their teeth, though 

 I watched carefully for the side charge with their dorsal spines, described so fully 

 by authors. From the quantity of ova in this nest you may form some slight idea 

 of the pest that the fish can become in a pond, though there is a great check put on 

 their numbers by the numerous individuals devoured by the full-grown males of 

 other nests. 



Dr. Kinahan made the following statement : — In the paper read by me at our 

 last meeting, I stated that on one point I was still in doubt — viz., how far varieties 

 combine inter se. Since then I have been enabled to arrive at the following con- 

 clusions on this subject — opportunely, indeed, as it completes the scheme I was 

 endeavouring to lay before you : — I find that these combinations do take place oc- 

 casionally, and that they, with a very few exceptions (more I am inclined to think 

 seeming than real), take place only between the sub-groups of the same group — 

 i.e., between variety and variety, and sub- variety and sub- variety. These con- 

 clusions, as well as those laid before you on former occasions, were all confirmed 

 by examinations of, I believe, the two best collections of the kind in England — 

 viz., that of Dr. H. Allchin, in London, and that of G. B. Wollaston, Esq., in 

 Kent. Through the kindness of both these gentlemen, I have been much indebted 

 both for information regarding the plants and by the opportunity afforded me of 

 examining forms, many of them unique. In Mr. Wollaston's collection there is a 

 form of hart's-tongue, raised by him from seed, which well illustrates the combina- 

 tion of forms. In it the lower portion of the frond represents the var. laciniatum, 

 while the apex represents tne var. cristatum. In one frond this was shown in a 

 remarkable manner, the stipe was cleft, one portion was diminished to a fibrous 

 hook, about a quarter of an inch long, the other bore a frond, the base marginate 

 serrate, and the apex divided into two, the one division cristate, the other reduced 

 to a branched lash of bare fibrils. The establishment of this fact clears up the only 

 difficulty in arranging the varieties I met with, establishing an additional class of 

 mixed forms. Thus, the Athyrium, found in Joyce Country by Robert Gunning, 

 and figured by Newman, as well, I believe, as the form found by Mr. A. Smith, 

 near Belfast, are to be referred to a form Laciniato-cristatum, being a combination 

 of laciniatum and cristatum. 



Dr. Kinahan exhibited a beautiful form of Athyrium Eilix-foemina, Newman, 

 obtained in June, 1854, near Castlekelly, County Dublin. In it the segments of 

 the pinnas are pinnatifid ; the indentations entire at their edges, and bearing the 

 sori in the angle; the spore-cases projecting beyond the edge of the frond, which, 

 added to the bulging forwards of the substance of the pinnule, gives the plant much 

 the appearance of a Davallia, or rather of a Loxsoma, though, of course, differing 

 in the shape and position of the indusium from either of these genera. In habit, 

 this plant resembled Athyrium cicutarium, especially in the remarkable fact of 

 its segments bearing but a single vein and sorus, thus corroborating the illustrious 

 Robert Brown's opinion, who rejects this as a distinctive character, in opposition 

 to Smith and Bernhardi, by whom the genus Darea or Cajnopteris has, owing to 

 this character, been separated from Athyrium. This plant is also a beautiful ex- 

 ample of the variety laciniatum {Kin.); the plant was growing in a shady nook 

 along with a plant of the ordinary form. It is sparingly fruitful. 



Doctor Farran wished to offer a few observations prior to the adjournment of the 



