106 FERTILIZATION OF FERNS. \^April, 



Among the agrarial species may be noticed Sinapis alba and 

 S. nigra, Reseda lutea, Carduus nutans, Picris hieracioides, etc. 



The rarer aquatics and marsh plants of this district are Ceras- 

 tium aquaticum, Ranunculus fluitans, Myosotis palustris, Sym- 

 phytum officinale, Carex acuta, C. pallescens, Ophioglossum vul- 

 gatum, etc. 



The following species grow about roadsides or on banks^ or near 

 hedges or in waste places, " nooks and corners/^ viz. Arabis hir- 

 suta, Viola hirta, V. odorata, Origanum vulgare. Arum maculatum, 

 Inula Conyza, Dipsacus pilosus, etc. 



As the botanists of England may soon look for and also have 

 the pleasure of reading a Flora of Herefordshire, the above list 

 is given as a kind of first-fruits, or, as some would say, Prhnitice 

 Flor<s Herefordiensis. It is printed and published for the use of 

 botanists in this county, and for the convenience of those who 

 mean to visit it with botanical objects. 



There are many rare plants lx>th on the north and south extre- 

 mities of the county. Eupliorhia stricta, for example, is to be 

 found not very far from Ross, and Astrantia major not veiy far 

 from Ludlow on the north. Botanists are guided in their re- 

 searches on the existence and distribution of plants more by the 

 natural state of the country than by its political divisions into 

 counties, which appear to have perplexed more than one geogra- 

 phical botanist. N. 



FERTILIZATION OF FERNS. 



Every species in the animal kingdom is allowed by naturalists 

 to he sexual, but under various modifications. Every species of 

 vascular plant is allowed to be so too ; but when we come to the 

 cellulars we are at a dead-lock, for our elementary botanical 

 teachers have not as yet enlightened us as to whether even Ferns 

 possess aij(y sexual development. We are informed that they have 

 been subjected to the strictest microscopical scrutiny, and that 

 no stamens or pistils have been discovered, or any organs which 

 may be supposed to perform such operations as are caused by 

 them in other orders. 



It may be asserted that the body of the largest shark may be 



