619 



extremely sluggish and obtuse in comprehending anything that par- 

 takes of the character of criticism on myself; but this, 1 am now 

 informed, was Mr. Hort's intention ; indeed, I learn that he is consi- 

 dered as having made rather a good hit on the subject of Athyrium 

 ovatum, when he explains that Fries used to make a point of having 

 seen at least a hundred livingindividualsof a plant before he admitted 

 it into his Catalogue, but that no one would fix the numerical stan- 

 dard so low as two, the number to which, as far as his observation 

 extends, Athyrium ovatum is restricted in its British locality. Hence 

 it would appear that 1 have introduced a species on the faith of these 

 two examples. 



I would first reply that my correspondents did not inform me of the 

 fact of this restriction ; from their communications I was induced to 

 consider it "rare" (Phytol. App. xii) ; but I never entertained the 

 idea of its numerical restriction to two or two hundred individuals ; 

 indeed, a botanist now at my elbow, and one whose judgment in the 

 matter of ferns is paramount, says, " I saw it frequently, though not 

 abundantly, throughout the lake district." The communicant has the 

 plant growing luxuriantly. I may also mention that Hoffmann and Roth, 

 from whose works the species is adopted, make no allusion whatever to 

 its rarity. I am induced, by my friend already alluded to, to mention this 

 subject, because I have no ambition to be ranked among species-makers ; 

 and, moreover, the regulation laid down by Fries for his own govern- 

 ment is altogether so congenial to my views, that I cannot but regard 

 with some feeling of complacency the fact that twelve years ago I 

 published an idea identical with that which is now cited. 



As a botanical observation I would add, that the flat upper surface 

 of the pinnules of ferns has always a tendency to parallelism with the 

 horizon. If the rachis also possess this parallelism the plane of the 

 pinnae and of the rachis is identical ; but when, as in bog-ferns, the 

 rachis is erect or nearly so, then the pinnae, still striving after the 

 horizontal position, form nearly right angles with the rachis. The 

 peculiarities recorded by Mr. Hort are results of these general laws. 

 When the reverse takes place that position may be regarded as ex- 

 ceptional. 



Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



Tlmrsday, May 13, 1852.— Dr. Seller, President, in the chair. 

 A note was read from the Rev. W. A. Leighton, transmitting speci- 

 mens for the Society's herbarium of a new fungus, detected by the 



