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a batch of plumosissimums that recall all the best features 

 of that of Birkenhead's, and, in a few cases, are even 

 superior to it. The batch referred to have been raised by 

 Mr. H. Stansfield at Sale. When I first saw them I 

 thought that Mr. Stansfield had recovered the glories of 

 Birkenhead's plant in some of its own offspring, but I soon 

 found that such was not the case. They are indeed a 

 batch of sporelings from a distinct source known, I believe, 

 to the raiser. They possess in nearly every case the 

 plumosissimum character to perfection, and are all charac- 

 terized by the subdivisions of the pinules being much 

 elongated and tongue-like. Some of them have already 

 produced prothalli by apical apospory ; bulbils are also 

 produced by some of them pretty freely, so that we may 

 fully expect the perpetuation of their fine characters. A 

 few of the best of them have a decidedly pellucid appear- 

 ance, and these have been named P. ang. pluinosissinmm 

 pellucidiim. 



The pinnae are broad with a rounded apex, are beauti- 

 fully imbricated and subdivided to a remarkable degree, 

 all the subdivisions, or tongues, also terminating in a 

 rounded apex and running out in some cases to a great 

 length, the mature frond resembling in its fulness an ostrich 

 plume. In fact, one wonders, after seeing these gems, 

 whither plumose development can further go. 



The Sale nurseries have enriched our ferneries with many 

 good things, and Mr. Stansfield is to be congratulated upon 

 this further striking success. 



Joe Edwards. 



