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many wild finds of the frilled Hartstongue (Scolopcndviiim 

 vtilgave, var. cvispinn), the Welsh Polypody [Polypoditun 

 vulgare, var. cainhvicum), and others, which, presumably, 

 must have originated from fertile — i.e. spore-bearing 

 forms — the only alternative being bud-sports — i.e. plants 

 varying from the parents originating from a bud on roots 

 or frond instead of from a spore, a thing which occasionally 

 happens in Ferns as in other plants, but which does not 

 alter the case one jot. 



The subtle and wonderful change which must take place 

 in the mother-cell, whether of spore or of bud, is just as 

 striking and incomprehensible, especially when we con- 

 sider, not only that the resulting plant may assume a 

 totally different plan of growth, but is henceforth endowed 

 with the power of exact reproduction of itself, with all its 

 peculiarities, through its spores — if it be fertile — just as 

 constantly as its ancestors, for ages untold, had reproduced 

 themselves. This constancy may be regarded as the rule 

 with all very marked and symmetrical forms, but there are 

 some most striking exceptions, in which, though the plants 

 retain the abnormal form, their progeny revert more or less 

 to the common. We have ourselves raised a very robust 

 and heavy-crested form of Hard Fern [Blechnum Spicant) 

 from a wild find of similar character but smaller growth. 

 Strange to say, the sowing from which this splendid plant 

 originated w^as so nearly a failure that only the one plant 

 resulted, which, as stated, surpasses the parent ; yet when 

 spores of this more marked variety were sown, fully 90 per 

 cent, were absolutely common Hard Ferns ; two only 

 closely resembled the parent ; one far surpassed it ; several 

 are of a different type of cresting ; one is extremely drawf, 

 with fronds absolutely fan-shaped — and between these and 

 the common ones there is every grade of cresting, from 

 merely squarish tips to ball-like tufts. It is manifest that, 

 in the production of new and distinct varieties, such 



