208 NOTES — ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



Gibson, in his Flora of Essex, gives, however, one or more 

 locaHties in each of the eight districts into which he divides the 

 county, with the exception of the eighth — that which comprises 

 Tendring Hundred and the district east of Colchester. For my 

 own part, I have seen the plant now and then, growing in very 

 small quantities on the walls of old churches and the like in 

 various parts of the county. The only place in Essex where,, 

 until the present year, I have seen it growing anything more 

 than sparingly, has been on some old brick walls at Purfleet, 

 Only within the last few niDnths have I seen it growing in the 

 county in really large quantities. 



In July last I saw the plant growing on the brick walls of 

 several of the Martello Towers near Clacton-on-Sea. On one of 

 these — I think the second to the south of the town — the plant 

 was growing in the greatest profusion. This tower stands 

 within fifty yards of the sea — in fact, almost on the beach. 

 There were few plants near the base ; but the quantity growing 

 in the interstices of the brickwork near the top was so great as 

 to give the tower a mossy appearance when looked at from the 

 ground. The plants were quite inaccessible, and I could identify 

 the species only by means of a good glass. Clacton is in 

 Gibson's Eighth District, from which he had no records for the 

 plant. 



Again, within the last few weeks, Mr. H. Mothersole and 

 myself found the plant growing in great profusion on the brick 

 viaduct which carries the main line of the Great Eastern 

 Railway over the valley of a little brook in the parish of 

 Boreham. The plants grew in large tufts on the sides of the 

 viaduct and to a lesser extent under the arches. Many of the 

 fronds were of exceptional size — perhaps on account of the 

 wetness of the past summer. — Miller Christy, F.L.S., 

 Broomfield, Chelmsford. 



