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ceeded on the road to Dolgelly, which winds up for a long way 

 among fine woods and picturesque cottages, until it opens out on the 

 summit level, and then plunges down near the head of the solitary 

 lake of Tal-y-Llyn, and ascends once more up a most desolate gorge, 

 of which the perpendicular precipices of Cader Idris form the oppo- 

 site side. Polypodium Phegopteris occurs very plentifully in many 

 stations, on banks and stone walls, in the three counties of Cardigan, 

 Montgomery and Merioneth, included in this day's journey. 



From Dolgelly to Barmouth is a splendid walk. On the wall of 

 the embankment, just over the bridge across the Maw, was noticed a 

 single plant of Ceterach officinarum, by no means a common fern in 

 Wales. As we knew we were approaching the famous locality for 

 Asplenium lauceolatum, and never having seen this fern in a natural 

 habitat, we commenced searching every hole, wall, bridge, and rock, 

 and closely examining amongst the innumerable Adiantum-nigrum, 

 which was growing luxuriantly all along on both sides of the road. 

 Hundreds of the more attenuated, shrivelled, and odd-looking fronds 

 of the last-named fern fell a sacrifice, alternately fluctuating between 

 hope and despair of identifying the object of our search, till the se- 

 cond mile-stone from Barmouth was passed. Here the road some- 

 what ascends to round the last promontory that shuts out the view of 

 Barmouth and the open sea beyond. Exactly at the bend of this 

 sweep, on the wall, originally of large, loose stones, that bounds the 

 road on the right, an almost simultaneous shout from each of our 

 party, removed at once all our doubts and fears, and announced the 

 prize. Here was the undoubted lanceolatum in abundance, perfectly 

 unmistakeable when once seen, growing intermingled with, but pre- 

 dominant over Adiantum-nigrum. It roots very deeply in the holes 

 and fissures amongst the stones, assisted by the length of the stipes, 

 which renders it very difficult to get at perfect, unmutilated fronds. 

 From the dry, sandy nature of the road, the fronds, though large, at 

 this time were covered with dust, and of a shrivelled habit. We 

 again met with it on the high rocks, just before entering the town, as 

 recorded in Newman's ' British Ferns,' p. 251 ; and much finer and 

 greener, on rocks and walls about the same distance on the other side 

 of the town, towards Harlech. Polypodium Phegopteris was seen 

 plentifully, and Osmunda regalis at one station, on this walk. The 

 road to Harlech, and thence to Tremadoc, across (he ferry of the 

 Traeths, presented nothing fresh to notice. 



The following morning was spent in ascending the great rocky emi- 

 nences, which so romantically overhang the remarkably neat and 



