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divisions, somewhat overlapping each other, and of a thin 

 papery texture, as different as possible in every way from 

 the normal type ; next comes a distinct improvement on 

 this, P. V. camb. Prestonii, not so large growing, but much 

 denser and more finely cut; next another variant, P. v. 

 camb. Bavvowii, a stiffer and bolder grower and quite 

 distinct, but not so dense ; then P. v. camb. Hadwinii, 

 again distinct and very erect, and, finally, a form which we 

 believe to be P. v. camb, Oakleyce, a dwarfed caiubvicum 

 very finely cut. 



In another grand group, close to these are plants of the 

 old P. V. cvistatum, prettily tasselled, and a form given us 

 by Mr. G. W. Wollaston, as found at Scarborough, with 

 heavier tassels. 



We next come to one of the most remarkable forms of 

 all known as P. v. Cornubiense or elegantissimum. This 

 was found on an ash pollard in Cornwall, and has its fronds 

 divided over and over again into long slender segments, so 

 that they have almost a moss-like appearance at their best. 

 They have, however, a peculiar trick of reverting partially 

 to the quite common type, producing also fronds which are 

 beautifully divided but on coarser lines, the result being 

 that in one and the same specimen we may see a normal 

 frond, with a single pinnule finely divided, associated with 

 smooth-edged plain ones, or conversely, a finely divided 

 frond, with a single normal division, or a frond made up of 

 all three types, fine, intermediate, and common ; some 

 carefully selected forms, like P. v. tvichomanoides, display 

 this tendency less and sometimes hardly at all. 



Mr. Clapham, of fern renown, managed to cross this 

 variety with P. v. hifido cristattini. described above, and we 

 have a specimen of this which, owing to this reversion 

 tendency, bears about seven distinct sorts of fronds, viz., 

 normal, true bifido cvistatum and fronds, with these two 

 characters cropping up indiscriminately in conjunction 

 with the coarse and fine types of Cornubiense, tasselled and 

 plain, a very comical instance of want of determination, 

 as the fronds evidently start, with their minds, so to speak, 



