814 



engaged in examining the so-called reproductive organs of ferns, with a 

 view to confirm or disprove the remarkable statements of Suminski, 

 first made known to the botanical public through the pages of the 

 ' Phytologist.' The result will be published when the observations 

 shall be completed. In the mean time, it seems desirable to state, as 

 a negative result of great importance, that Suminski is certainly in 

 error in supposing that the first gyrate frond is necessarily dependent 

 on the impregnation of an ovule contained in the archegonium. 

 Whether such impregnation ever takes place, or whether it takes 

 place in Pteris serrulata, the species on which the experiments of 

 Suminski were made, remains yet to be proved ; but, if it can be 

 shown that such impregnation is not essential to the production of 

 the gyrate frond, it follows that it is no law of Nature. It is quite 

 evident that the gyrate frond occasionally originates in the disk of the 

 proembryo, as asserted by Suminski to be the case in Pteris serrulata ; 

 but even in such instances the origin of the gyrate frond and the 

 impregnation of the supposed ovule are not necessarily connected. 

 In Adianlum Capillus- Veneris a totally different phenomenon is ob- 

 servable : in this species a portion of the margin of the proembryo — 

 generally the portion most distant from its point of attachment to the 

 soil — protrudes itself, and elongates into a lobe, the mesial line of 

 which becomes gradually more thickened, and more opaque ; and 

 this thickened and opaque line eventually proves to be the inci- 

 pient state of the stipes, or mesial rachis, of the future gyrate 

 frond, which is thus evidently a prolongation of the proembryo 

 itself. Gradually, but very perceptibly, the elongation of the lobe 

 continues, until it becomes almost entirely absorbed into the mesial 

 opaque line, and until its extremity curls over, and assumes a dis- 

 tinctly circinate character. These facts may be confirmed by every 

 microscopist ; and their tendency to overthrow Suminski's hypothesis 

 will be admitted by all." 



Asplenium fonlanutn in Hampshire. 



The President read the following note, from Mr. W. H. Hawker, 

 dated Ashfield Lodge, Petersfield, Hants, December 23, 1852 : — 



" I have been so fortunate as to discover the above fern, whose 

 claims to be a true native have been lately so much questioned. I 

 trust that the circumstances under which I have found it existing, 

 may tend to restore it to its forfeited place in the British Flora. 

 It is growing abundantly and luxuriantly, for I counted twelve tufts 

 of it the last time I went to look at it j and I think the largest of these 



