I860.] REVIEWS. 145 



those who consider that species have been multiplied far beyond their due 

 limits. Still, extremes in either case are questionable, for even the non- 

 existence of distinct species has been asserted." 



After paying a not undeserved compliment to Mr. Bentham, 

 whose high scientific position and botanical zeal are eminently 

 deserving both respect and admiration^ the author begins his 

 subject, premising that his remarks are limited to the genus 

 Hymenophyllum, as it is represented in the author's own country, 

 Ireland : — " Of this genus/^ he states, " we have two well re- 

 corded and described species, Hymenophyllum tunbridgense and 

 H. Wilsoni ; the latter has been discarded in Mr. Bentham's re- 

 cently published Handbook, but with what utility is to be seen." 



After dismissing Kay^s 'Synopsis,' Withering's 'Arrangement,' 

 Hudson's ' Flora Anglica,' and Bolton's 'Filices' as untrustwor- 

 thy, " especially," he says, " when we find H. tunbridgense quoted 

 by Bay and Withering as growing amongst pebbles at Cockbush, 

 on the coast of Sussex," he further notices the excellent work 

 of Sir William Hooker, ' Species Filicum,' " where we find such 

 numerous affinities and synonyms given as views of different 

 botanists, completely perplexing the species tunbridgense, Wilsoni, 

 and unilaterale.'' On such grounds, he surmises, Mr. Bentham 

 deemed it proper to reject the two latter, and retain only the 

 former as the sole British representative of the genus in Britain. 

 An easy way of solving the difficulty, cutting them adrift in- 

 stead of disentangling them. 



Mr. Andrews next refers to the excellent descriptions given of 

 these plants in Hooker and Arnott's 'British Flora,' p. 59.2, 

 Hooker's ' Species Filicum,' vol. i. p. 95, Wilson's observa- 

 tions in Hooker's ' Journal of Botany,' vol. i. p. 317, and 

 ' Supplement to English Botany,' t. 2686. As distinctive 

 marks he states that the fronds of H. tunbridgense are more 

 delicate in structure, broader, and more lanceolate than those of 

 H. Wilsoni ; also the pinnse are pinnatlfid, with numerous seg- 

 ments, distichous or pointing in opposite directions, and flat ; 

 the involucres both in the early stage and in the ripened state of 

 the capsules are broadly ovate, or more properly subrotundate, 

 invariably toothed or spinous, and swollen only at the base; 

 colour pale glossy green. 



" In H. Wilsoni the pinnse are scarcely pinnatifid, with fewer segments 

 than in the former ; the pinnse unilateral, and ^^Ai\ the rachis cuived in a 



N. S. VOL. IV. U 



