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the Scolopendviiim beds, and here one was constrained to 

 hold one's breath, for rarely has one the opportunity of 

 seeing such a magnificent group of finely-developed plants. 

 Cvispiims as large as bushel baskets were there in endless 

 variety, together with forms of capitatum, grandiceps, ramosum, 

 saggittatuni, pvojectum, mavginatuin, mnvicatum, and others, 

 amongst which were fine examples of Saggittato pvojectum,. 

 one in which the pinnatifid cutting extended almost to the 

 midrib, and another a perfect vevolvens. This bed led, 

 by a continuation of narrow beds and smaller bays still 

 filled with examples of choice Scolopendrinms, to the collection 

 of Polysti chums. Here we found treasures innumerable, 

 mostly consisting of divisions of original finds ; one, an 

 original division of Polysticlmm acideatiim pulchevvimunt' 

 (Beavis), still remained a single crown, which is quite 

 contrary to its normal habit, as it usually produces offsets 

 with great freedom. There were also P. a«^. gvandiceps, Ab- 

 hottcB^P. ang. I veryanum 3.nd /I abellipiuulitm, in splendid form, 

 and divisolohe, acutilobe, tvipinnate, bvachiate, and other types 

 associated with the names of Dr. Wills, Moly,. Clapham, 

 Lowe, Stansfield, Mapplebeck, Jones, Fox and Wollaston, 

 and many others of a past generation of fern hunters ; and, 

 lastly, a grand group of that Plumose section which will 

 ever be associated with the names of the late Colonel Jones- 

 and Dr. Fox. Amongst these were specimens exhibited 

 and certificated at the great Fern Conference held at 

 Chiswick in 1891. This section, the most beautiful of any, 

 is particularly interesting to the writer, as the parent plant,. 

 from which it is descended, passed into his possession 

 with Mr. James Moly's collection. One cannot help 

 observing how certain ferns have asserted their potency, 

 transmitting: to succeeding generations their roguish 

 tendencies, which it seems impossible to breed out. 

 Amongst the Polystichums, Jones' Hampshire polydactylum 

 seems to have been the principal offender. It crosses freely 

 with other varieties, usually producing irregular offspring. 

 The next bed contained the collection of Lastreas, most 



