7 8 Transactions of tlie [Sess. 



is in the power of all of us to do some little good in the world — we 

 know not how much till we try : and if we can succeed in showing 

 our cottagers and artisans that by keeping a few hives of Bees they 

 can make them pay a considerable portion of their rent ; that Bee- 

 keeping will give them an additional interest in their homes ; and 

 that a chat with their neighbours on a summer's evening in the 

 society of Apis mellijica is better for them in every way than the 

 society of the Blue Dragon or the Golden Lion, we shall have 

 really benefited our neighbours. And following up this train of 

 thought, perhaps I cannot more appropriately close these remarks 

 than by quoting from one of our poets the short tale of " Abou 

 Ben Adhem and the Angel " : — 



" Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase ! ) 

 Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, 

 And saw, within the moonlight in his room, 

 Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom, 

 An angel, writing in a book of gold. 

 Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, 

 And to the presence in the room he said — 

 ' What writest thou ? ' The vision raised its head, 

 And, with a look made of all sweet accord, 

 Answered, ' The names of those who love the Lord. ' 

 ' And is mine one ? ' said Abou. ' Nay, not so,' 

 Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, 

 But cheerly still, and said — 'I pray thee, then, 

 Write me as one who loves his fellow-men.' 



The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night 

 It came again with a great W9,kening light. 

 And showed the names whom love of God had blessed. 

 And lo, Ben Adhem's name led all the rest ! " 



VII.— LIST OF A FEW FERNS AND FERN- VARIETIES COL- 

 LECTED CHIEFLY IN THE PARISH OF KILMALCOLM, 

 RENFREWSHIRE, 1881-82. 



By Mr STEWAET ARCHIBALD. 



{Communicated Dec. 22, 1882.) 



I HAVE now been a collector of plants in general for a good many 

 years, and of Ferns in particular for a longer period still, and had 

 come to think I knew these latter pretty well, having gathered the 

 most of the species now to be found in Scotland. My books, of 

 course, told me that there were several varieties of some of the 

 Ferns, but I thought them too rare to be frequently met with, and 



