90 



the remark of the finder and raiser that ** the spores would 

 not ripen," the whitish aposporous growths instantly giving 

 me the reason. Both these have yielded plants, but 

 Bolton's form is very inconstant, and Garnett's, though 

 itself a very pretty slender cristatum, yields inferior 

 progeny. The aposporous Shield Ferns produce extremely 

 depauperate and defective progeny from their aposporous 

 prothalli, exceptions being very rare, and only so far as I 

 know, in one instance, with Aloly's beautifully variegated 

 pnlchcrrijtmm in Dr. Stansfield's hands. 



The moral of the above to young fern students is that 

 close and keen observation may be well repaid, even by 

 "something new under the sun," and that if anything 

 fresh be noted, a record should not merely be kept, but if 

 possible published, and it is only by doing so that fresh 

 material is likely to be sent and fresh discovery thus 

 facilitated. Possibly this description of apospory may 

 lead to further discoveries, and I need hardly say that I 

 should be most happy to pronounce upon any material 

 sent me in that connection. 



In conclusion, I may add tha.t A. f.f. Clarissima Jones was 

 found by Mr. IMoule on a blazing hot summer day, and 

 was observed by Col. Jones, who fortunately visited him in 

 the afternoon, rapidly shrivelling in the sun, and so far 

 gone that it was with difficulty revived and established. 

 Although it assumed in time a very large size, Mr. G. B. 

 WoUaston recorded the width of its fronds as twenty-six 

 inches, it resisted all attempts at propagation by the 

 presumed spores, which appeared in profusion every 

 season, and at the time of the discovery of the true nature 

 of the excrescences only two divisions existed, one in Col. 

 Jones's possession the other in Mr. Woliaston's. On Mr. 

 Wollaston's death the plant disappeared, and it is not 

 known into whose possession it fell, or if it died of neglect. 

 The other division, however, at CHfton, multiphed itself 

 under the tender care of Col. Jones's relatives there into 

 three fine specimens, and from these it was clear that a 



