PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 187 



Arena strirjoHn, Schrel). " Ratlier coranion in oatfieltls about Plymouth, 

 but always looking as if sown with the crop." — T. R. Archer Briggs. 



Fediica amhigna, Le Gall. St. Helen's Spit, Isle of Wight, .Tune 7, 

 1870. Mr. Strattoii has sent a very large supply of this curious Fiilpia, 

 collected by Mrs. Strattoii. The specimeus have a wonderful siiuilaritv in 

 habit, which is quite that of Festnca unujlutuis, except that the florets 

 are but half the size, although in everything but the disposition of the 

 spikelets in the panicle it can scarcely be distinguished from F. Psendo- 

 myurm. It is strange that the plant has not yet been delected in any 

 station but the above, in which it was first discriminated by Mr. A. G. 

 More, about ten years ago. On the Continent it seems equally rare 

 or little known, as it is recorded only in a few places in the north-west of 

 France, on the coast of Morbilian. 



Aspleidiim. septentrionale, Hull. "Rocks at Porlock, Somerset." — 

 Mary Edmunds. Tiie occurrence of this plant in Somersetshire is 

 doubted in the Supplement to the ' Cybele Britannica,' though it is ac- 

 knowledged as a native of Devon. In the third volume of the ' Cybele' 

 itself, the question is raised, whether it occurs in Devon or Sonerset, or 

 in both. 



Ophior/foHsinn viihjiifam, Linn. var. ambujiium. " Elevated sandv ground, 

 St. Agnes, Scilly Isles, 1863." — F. Townsend. It is seventeen years 

 since 1 detected this curious little form of Ophioglossiim in the Orkney 

 Islands, in the parish of Orphir, Mainland, Orkney. I am not aware that 

 it has been found elsewhere in Britain, except in the Scilly Isles, by Mr. 

 Townsend. On the Continent it has been noticed in a few places in 

 France, near Paris ; and also near the Tower of Pocau(;y, near Lardy, 

 and at Cape Farret, near Arcachon. The habit of the smaller specimens 

 of the Orkney plant is extremely similar to that of 0. Insitcniicuin, while 

 others from the same station are scarcely distinguishable from normal 

 0. vnhjutum. Mr. Townsend's specimens are a little larger than the 

 smallest of those from Orkney. A small form of 0. vul(/aium, collected 

 by Mr. A. G. More, at Garryland, co. Galway, comes very near this in 

 point of size, but the barren frond is broadest near the base, and the 

 accessory root-frond of var. amh'ujunui is absent, at least in the specimens 

 which lie has communicated to me. 



J. BOSWELL SyME. 



April Wi,\%l\. 



protcebings of Sodctus. 



DUBLIN. 



Natur.vl History Society, March 1. — Rev. Professor Haughton, 

 F.R.S., in the chair. A paper by Mr. G. H. Kinahan, Geological Sur- 

 vey, was read, " On Ferns observed in lar, or West Connauglit, the part 

 of county Galway that lies west of Loughs Mask and Corrib, with localities 

 of a few rare Ferns in S.W. Sligo." The most important observation 

 was the detection of Adianhun CapUlns-Vei/eris, L., five miles from the east 

 end of the Killery Harbour, on the hill N.N.E. of Sheflfey, county Mayo, 

 a point intermediate between the Sligo and the Urrisbeg and Arran loca- 

 lities. Only a few small stools could be found. The lobes of the pin- 

 nules are very deeply serratitd 



