TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 151 



cultivated, and I wonder that it is not more often seen in gardens, as it is 

 a very beautiful plant. 



Botrychium virginica, or the grape fern, is found occasionally scattered 

 through the woods, but it is not abundant. It seldom occurs in groups, but 

 almost always the plants are solitary, or at most three or four plants grow 

 near together. Specimens vary in height from 6 to 12 inches, and have but 

 the one frond. 



Notholaena dealbata, or the little silver fern, is the daintiest and the most 

 beautiful of all our Kansas ferns. Its delicately cut leaves shine like silver 

 on the lower surface, and are a pale ashen green above. Its fronds are 

 from two to six inches high, but it is seldom six incies in height, being 

 more often two to four. This fern is enthusiastically admired by all who 

 are fortunate enough to discover the shy little fugitive. I know of but one 

 place where it grows, and that is a bleak northern limestone cliff between 

 Kansas City and Argentine. 



All of the above-mentioned species have been collected in the vicinity 

 of Argentine, though I have also collected most of them on my excursions 

 further out in the county back from the river. 



