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and other inorganic products, and a little thought will 

 show us that all such contents are, or have been, primarily 

 the work of busy cells, while the infinite diversity of such 

 work is all determined at the outset by invisible and incon. 

 ceivably subtle potencies innate in that minute bundle of 

 vital fibres in the cell which we term the nucleus, the 

 absolute embodiment of all vitality. Then we may go a 

 step further, and consider that our own appreciation of all 

 these wonders is solely due to the action of the innumer- 

 able brain cells which, as the writer of these lines pro- 

 gresses, are working up his memories, and simultaneously 

 actuating the mechanism which drives his pen and enables 

 him to transfer his intangible ideas into words for his 



readers. 



Chas. T. Druery, V.M.H., F.L.S. 



SCOLOPENDRIUM V. PLUMOSUM {Frontispiece). 



I send a photograph of a plant of the above which was 

 raised by Mr. H. Stansfield, of Sale. It is believed to be 

 a cross between 5. v. crispnm diversifrons and S. v. lacerafum. 

 When in good health and character it is much finer than 

 either of the parents, but, like many other cross-bred ferns, 

 it is dimorphic, sometimes one, sometimes the other, 

 parental character predominating, although there are 

 generally traces, more or less distinct, of both. The new 

 fronds, which have succeeded those shown in the photo- 

 graph, are much more like S. laccratumi but the icfiuence of 

 the other parent is still visible in the "tooling" of the 

 upper surface which characterizes 5. cvispnm diver si Jvons. 

 In the autumn possibly the crispum character may once 

 more gain the upper hand. 



F. W. Stansfield. 



Reading. 



