709 



Notes on the rarer Ferns observed in a fortnight's Pedestrian Tour 

 in North Wales ; with several new Localities for Asplenium 

 lanceolatum. By William Bennett, Esq. 



We arrived at the small town of Builth, in Brecknockshire, one 

 evening about the beginning of last month. A few minutes after five 

 the next morning found us crossing the bridge over the Wye into 

 Radnorshire. The road to Rhayader keeps the course of the river, 

 now reduced to a mountain torrent. Polypodium Phegopteris was 

 first observed on some rocks on the right of the road to the posting 

 hamlet of Llangurig, about three miles out of Rhayader. Our inten- 

 tion was to have crossed Plinlimmon to Machynlleth, but his highness 

 had by this time put on a threatening aspect, and was now completely 

 enveloped in mountain mist, so as to render the attempt indiscreet, if 

 not impracticable to strangers, as well as useless in point of scenery 

 and enjoyment. So after holding a few minutes' council, we deter- 

 mined to keep the high road, and deviate to the Devil's Bridge, in 

 South Wales, which proved as well ; for within an hour the clouds 

 began to come down, first as gentle rain, and then increasing steadily 

 to a thorough wet evening, swelling the watercourses we had to cross 

 on a part of this road to a degree of inconvenience. Polypodium 

 Phegopteris beautifully covers a wall on the right, just through the 

 Yspitty Cynfen gate, after leaving the main road to Aberystwith, two 

 miles before the Devil's Bridge. 



The ferns of this charming locality are too well known to admit of 

 discovering anything new. The evening had likewise gained upon us, 

 and it was very wet. We were satisfied with visiting one of the spots 

 for Hymenophyllum, on the Hafod Arms side of the Mynach, which 

 the guide you are obliged to have from the inn, in order to gain 

 access to some of the falls, said the Bishop of Winchester had pro- 

 nounced to be the best fern of the district, and had called Tunbridg- 

 ense, but upon examination we find to be Wilsoni. Probably both 

 grow here. Lastrea Oreopteris was the predominant fern seen 

 throughout this day's excursion. 



Our walk the next morning extended from the Hafod Arms, direct 

 by a mountain road or track nearly the whole of the way to Machyn- 

 lleth. Over halfway a little stream is crossed, forming the boundary 

 between Cardiganshire and Montgomeryshire, or between South and 

 North Wales. Almost the whole of this tract consists of vast, brown, 

 moory, bare mountain, too wet for Pteris aquilina. We thence pro- 



