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parental form, and a few reversions towards the normal. 

 The photo reproduced represents so far the most extra- 

 ordinary of these secondary " sports," but several of the 

 others are of wonderful delicacy of cutting, the parental 

 half-inch pinnacles being extended sometimes to nearly 

 three inches, and of almost hairlike tenuity. Two have 

 obtained first class certificates from the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, and a third, which is on quite different lines, and 

 is finely dissected and plumose, an award of merit. The- 

 appearance of these varieties established an altogether 

 new section among varietal Shield Ferns, and constitutes 

 an unique example among secondary sports. 



C. T. D. 



OUR NATIVE FERNS. 



Although the rider of every hobby is apt to exaggerate 

 its importance, it is absolutely safe to say that amongst all 

 branches of the gardening hobby, that relating to our 

 native ferns in their varietal forms is unique in interest. 

 The British Isles, compared to many tropical or sub- 

 tropical fern lands, are poor in species, numbering only some 

 forty odd as against hundreds, but for some reason so far 

 inscrutable these few species have proved themselves to be 

 capable of assuming so many sportive forms as to far and 

 away exceed, in varietal diversity, all the rest of the ferns 

 of the world put together. This may, perhaps, be partly 

 imputed to the fact that while exotic ferns, of which so 

 many species have been introduced, have mainly been 

 discovered by general botanists who do not individually 

 examine the great numbers of plants they meet with, with 

 a view to discover the comparatively rare " sports," our 

 home ferns have been for more than half a century subjected 

 to that special and persevering search by expert fern, 

 hunters, which is alone qualified to earn success by the 

 discovery of new forms. It is a common thing to hear 

 from persons who have been visiting our ferny districts 

 that " ferns were there in thousands but only the common 

 ones," in obvious ignorance of the fact that wherever these 



B 



