154 



the "blue lias limestone cliffs" of Southerndown, in 

 Glamorganshire, kindly sent me by Mr. Gething, of 

 Abergavenny, in igo2, with a statement that this habitat 

 has been his own for sixty years. But this Fern does not 

 grow so vigorously as my imhvicatiim. Since then I have 

 visited St. Ives, in Cornwall, with the result that my 

 rockery is further adorned with the species from the sea- 

 cliffs in that neighbourhood. 



Again, I possess on the rockery a sturdy self-sown form of 

 this beautiful Fern, which I think is rather remarkable, the 

 conditions being understood. 



The Killarney Fern (Tvichomanes vadicans) and the two 

 Filmy Ferns {HymenophyUum tunhvidgense and H. nnilaievale)^ 

 all from Scotland, occupy a case to themselves, and can 

 only be mentioned here to complete the series. 



I had intended to touch upon cultural matters — ventila- 

 tion, watering, and manipulation generally — but, no; I 

 have said enough ; and will conclude with a hope that if 

 self has been rather prominent in this article, it will be 

 pardoned as inevitable in a description of " Isly Fernery." 



MYSTERIOUS FERNS. 



Probably there is no thorough-going Fern cultivator of 

 long standing, but has had curious experiences amongst his 

 sowings of fern spores, quite apart from those "strays" 

 which are almost inevitable when spores are collected 

 late in the season, at a time when other spores have 

 been shed broadcast and become as a consequence 

 mixed with those which he takes direct from the 

 frond. In our own experience several occurrences 

 have been so inexplicable, so impossible to attribute to 

 strays of this kind, as to merit record. Of these the most 

 marked instance occurred comparatively recently. In a 

 hedge near Seaton Junction, Devon, we found in 1908 a 

 very remarkable Polysticlnim annulare, bearing only two large 

 fronds, each of which was of abnormally tough texture 

 and with a shining surface, while the fronds were thric 



