354 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Oct. 



history add many new facts to their departments, or suggest new 

 illustrations of religion. True, the want in our libraries of the 

 great standard books on these subjects pablished in Europe, is 

 another almost equally powerful obstacle to new discoveries, as the 

 want of specimens. But what a pity that in both these ways our 

 professors should be deprived of a credit they ought to have the 

 power to attain, and be compelled to put into the hands of Euro- 

 pean naturalists every object apparently new which they meet, 

 because they are afraid to describe it, lest it should have been 

 already described by transatlantic naturalists ! 



" It is for such reasons that I felt justified in devoting so much 

 time and effort during thirty-eight years, to build up and fill the 

 Cabinets at Amherst. I have no expectation or wish to give the 

 subjects of natural history here an undue prominence, but only to 

 make them subserve the objects I have specified, and to do something 

 towards sustaining the credit and popularity of the institution." 



NOTES ON THE HABITATS AND VARIETIES OF 

 SOME CANADIAN FEBNS. 



By David R. McCord, B.A., Montreal. 



PoLTPODiU3i VULGARE. — Common in Lower Canada ; eight to 

 twelve inches long, occasionally smaller. As it grows upon rocks, 

 it may sometimes be seen curled up by drought. I have not yet 

 observed any abnormal forms ; but since in Great Britain there 

 are, according to Lowe, thirty-seven varieties more or less constant 

 in cultivation, attention to this fern is particularly to be desired 

 from Canadian pteridologists. Montreal, not common; Chatham; 

 Waterloo ; Sorel, Lady Dalhousie ; Temiscouata, common, J. G. 

 Thomas, M.D. ; Quebec, Hon. William Sheppard. White Moun- 

 tains, New Hampshire. 



PoLYPODiUM HEXAGONOPTERUM. — Usually thinner, less coria- 

 ceous than P. Fhegojyteris. Waterloo ; Chatham ; Sorel, Lady 

 Dalhousie ; Quebec, Hon. Wihiam Sheppard. 



PoLYPODiUM Phegopteris. — Rhizoma many rooted, stipes 

 ascending at short intervals ; occasionally sixteen inches in height, 

 (including stipe). Temiscouata, common, J. G. Thomas, M.D. ; 

 Waterloo; Lennoxville; Chatham; Durham, Wickham, and Mel- 

 bourne, John A. Bothwell, B. A. ; Quebec, Rev. Prof. Brunet. 



