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As the other plants developed in size it became obvious 

 that the segregation of influences which determined the 

 varied forms of the plants produced by the spores was of a 

 very definite character, since with very few exceptions, viz. 

 the reversions alluded to above, Mr. Green's plumose form, 

 and one or two other varieties, the plants were either dis- 

 tinctly and thoroughly of the slender *' gracillimum " descrip- 

 tion or true replicas of the parental " pulcherrimum." The 

 exceptions in my case are an extra foliose and very hand- 

 some "pulcherrimum," and a stiffly erect form also of 

 '' pulcherrimum," but with the pinnules subdivided or 

 rather deeply serrate. This was named " dimorphum," 

 since for the first year or two it bore two distinct forms of 

 fronds of different degrees of cutting ; it has now, however, 

 settled down, and the name is only retained for the sake of 

 future observation. Despite, however, this adherence to 

 type, as might be expected, the plants, when mature, 

 exhibit some individuality of detail, and in one the incurved 

 and transverse nature of the parental frond tips mentioned 

 above has been transmitted so thoroughly that all the long 

 linear pinnules forming the slender subdivisions of the 

 pinnae are semi-circular in shape, curving inwards and 

 crossing over the secondary rachis or stalks in a peculiarly 

 pretty fashion. In some, too, the slight dilation of the 

 parental tips, also alluded to above, is emphasized so as 

 almost to indicate minute crests. Naturally, such a 

 success as this led to further subsequent close examination 

 of " pulcherrimum " for spores on the writer's own speci- 

 mens, with the result that plenty of material was found for 

 a further sowing, the results of which are practically 

 identical with those described, though many of the plants 

 are as yet but small, too small to display the culminating 

 characters, w^hich in the Shield Fern varieties generally 

 only show themselves to perfection in quite adult and well- 

 developed plants. By way of exeriment, spores which 

 were produced in quite normal abundance on some of the 



