263 



172. Note on Phascum altemifolium. I enclose a specimen of the Phascum alterni- 

 folium of Bruch and Schiraper's ' Bryologia Europaea.' It is a very different plant from 

 the Phascum altemifolium of British botanists, which is the Archidium phascoides of 

 continental authors. — Jos. CruicksJiank ; Crichton Institution, Dumfries, Apr. 18,1842. 



[The specimens are in fine condition, and are labelled — " Near Dumfries, April, 

 J 842. I discovered it in March, 1840. It is very rare." — Ed.] 



173. Arenaria verna, I likewise enclose a specimen of Arenaria verna, from Col- 

 veind, Kirkcudbrightshire, where it was discovered by Mr, John Brown, Dumfries, in 

 1838, thus proving that it is found on the west coast of Scotland, where Sir W. J. 

 Hooker says it does not occur. — Id. 



174. Economical use of the Brake {Pteris aquilina, Linn.) in the Forest of Dean. 

 Passing a few days a fortnight since at a friend's house in the Forest of Dean, Glou- 

 cestershire, I was surprized by some girls bringing a quantity of recently cut Pteris 

 aquilina, or " Earn" which they retailed about at twopence per bxishel. On enquiring 

 the use to which it was put, I was informed that it was extensively employed in the 

 forest for feeding pigs, which are very fond of it. For this purpose, however, it must 

 be cut while the fronds are still uncurled, and a quantity of them boiled in a furnace. 

 The slushy or mucilaginous mass thus produced is then consigned to the wash-tub, or 

 any other receptacle, and in this state it will keep as pig-food for a considerable length 

 of time. I was informed that it was found very serviceable, especially to cottagers, 

 as coming in at an early period of the summer, when the produce of the garden is 

 but scanty. Perhaps a boiled dish of the Pteris in its circinate state, might not be ve- 

 ry unpalateable or unacceptable with a broiled rasher of bacon — at least to a hungry 

 man. If so, we might thus have a variation in our spring vegetable condiments; but 

 I am not aware whether the experiment has been made. — Edwin Lees ; South Cottage, 

 Malvern Wells, June 4, 1842. 



175. Enquiry respecting Carex axillaris and remota. Allow me, through the me- 

 dium of ' The Phytologist,' to enquire if any of the readers of that work can tell me 

 how to distinguish Carex axillaris from Carex remota. I have spent much time in 

 trying to make out the difference, and all to no purpose. Carex axillaris is said to be 

 a very rare plant ; this may account for my not being able to make it out. Dr. Good- 

 enough tells us in the second volume of the Liunean Transactions, that the capsules 

 in C. remota are entire, and in C. axillaris cloven ; if I rely on that character C. re- 

 mota / have never seen. But on turning to the third volume of that work, I find Dr. 

 Goodenough withdrawing the statement, and telling us that he believes that all Cari- 

 ces dispose of their seeds by the opening of the points of their capsules. It would ap- 

 pear by this that Dr. Goodenough was not a very close observer of the Carices, or he 

 would have known that they, at least our British species, do not dispose of their seeds 

 in other way than by their capsules (if so I may call them) and seeds falling together. 

 Smith seems to rely very much on the spikes being simple or compound ; he tells us 

 that the spikes of C. remota are simple, and those of C. axillaris compound : if this 

 be the character to distinguish them by, I have often seen both species on the same 

 root. He also says that the lower bracteas of C. axillaris are very long, and that the 

 beak of the fruit is more deeply cloven than that of C. remota, though he says the dif- 

 ference is not very striking. It appears that Sir W. J. Hooker relies very much on 

 the length of the lower bracteas in distinguishing the two species ; directly opposite to 

 what Smith has said, he tells us that the lower ones in C. axillaris are scarcely so long 

 as the spike. He also tells us that C. axillaris is a stouter and taller plant than C. 



