221 



years. I have a very charming variegated Polystichiim 

 angulave, which was given to me by Mr. Harris of the 

 Zoological Gardens, Clifton. Last year it was a mass of 

 rags and tatters, in previous years it was perfect ; it has, 

 however, made a very strong crown, and I hope this year 

 it will maintain its previous form. As the fronds are 

 rather thin in texture, it may be that a cold wind had 

 aflected it. In the Gardens at Clifton is a plant of 

 Polysticlmm aculeaUim piilchevvimum Beavis. The plant was a 

 division of the original planted by Col. Jones. It had 

 remained a single crown, and was in anything but repre- 

 sentative character. This variety produces offsets with 

 comparative freedom, which makes the behaviour of the 

 specimen in question the more remarkable. The finest 

 plant I ever saw of this variety was in the late Mr. Barnes' 

 garden at Milnthorpe, the contrast between the two plants 

 was most striking. 



Some of my young plants raised from spores of 



pulcherrijiium, both of the parental form, and of the 



gracillimnin section, behaved in a similarly unsatisfactory 



manner. It takes a long time with careful treatment to 



nurse them back to a healthy state. 



In conclusion, I regret to say that my efforts to trace 

 Baldwiniij the tinest of the plumoso-divisilohums raised by 

 the late Dr. Fox and Col. Jones, have not been attended 

 with success ; and save for the dried frond in the possession 

 of our Editor, and the plants he raised from spores (the 

 best of which, fine as it is, does not equal the original), 

 I fear it must be regarded as lost to cultivation. 



W. B. Cranfield. 



CETERACH OFFICINARUM. 



A recent visit to the Mendip Hills gave me an agreeable 

 surprise in connection with this Fern, which is commonly 

 known as the Scaly Spleenwort or Rusty-back, for although 



