I lO 



to its size and its position on private property had re- 

 luctantly to be left, though a small division was obtainable 

 for trial. Mr. Henwood also secured a very promising 

 foliose P. angidave, and a marked variety which requires 

 trial, and Mr. Cranfield bagged a very good form of 

 Scol. V. reni forme with short kidney-shaped fronds. A 

 special visit to Dartmoor is, however, particularly worthy 

 of note. In July, 1883, i.e. thirty years ago, Mr. Druery 

 discovered a colony of a curious form of Asplenium adianUivi 

 nigrum, characterised by long attenuate tails to both 

 fronds and pinnae, and hence named '^ caudifolium" by 

 j\Ir. G. B. Wollaston. This discovery was particularly 

 interesting, as this abnormal form had obviously succeeded 

 in ousting the normal for many yards, owing to its 

 closely clinging habit of growth, since it occupied 

 exclusively a large part of a stone dyke in which the 

 normal was plentiful at either end, but quite absent in con- 

 junction with the " sport," of which there were hundreds 

 of plants. To the biologist this was of great interest, as it 

 implies the possibility of a "sport" establishing itself 

 specifically, the only definable difference between a wild 

 variety and a true species being a general incapacity 

 to assert itself in this fashion. A party of the members 

 was therefore made up for a trip to Dartmoor to confirm 

 the nature of this discovery, with the result that Air. 

 Druery was able to locate the spot and re-discover the 

 colony as still existent, and in such quantity as to permit 

 of specimens being acquired without any fear of 

 vandalistic depletion. Under the heading " The Totnes 

 Excursions," Dr. F. W. Stansfield has kindly given an 

 independent account hereof, and of the ' finds ' generally. 

 A box of very fine fronds was sent by Mr. J. W. Walton, 

 of Richmond, Yorks, and those selected for special com- 

 mendation will be found cited under New Ferns. 



To turn now to the business of the meeting, at which 

 Pr. F. W. Stansfield presided, we cannot do better than 



