815 



tufts must be full two feet in circumference. Its situation is on the 

 north side of au old wall, about five feet high ; but it is sheltered 

 from the north and north-east wind. It is growing in company with 

 a good deal of Polypodium vulgare, and a little of Scolopendrium 

 vulgare. Considering it important, if possible, to discover the history 

 of this little old wall, T have, according to custom, consulted the 

 ' oldest inhabitant,' who, on being taken to the spot, and questioned 

 as to its archaeology, informed me that, when he was young, there 

 stood a large old barn there, but that it was pulled down ' better nor 

 thirty years ago.' This wall is evidently part of the old barn. The 

 luxuriance with which the Asplenium fontanura is growing, and the 

 ap])arently great age of some of the plants (as shown by their size), 

 lead me strongly to believe that it is as truly a native of the locality 

 in which I have found it as the other ferns growing with it. I have 

 measured some of the fronds which I have by me, and find the largest 

 to be close upon six inches long. I have not yet worked the neigh- 

 bourhood closely for ferns, but have observed Ceterach ofEcinarum, 

 Asplenium Trichomanes, A. Ruta-muraria, and other wall-loving spe- 

 cies, whose presence shows that the locality is not adverse to the 

 existence of A. fontanum. I have great hopes that, on working the 

 neighbourhood closer, I may find it in other situations near. I have 

 myself known of its existence in the above situation for several years, 

 and have often gone to look at it, and admired its beautiful tufts ; but 

 I only began collecting the ferns this year, and then, for the first 

 time, thought of examining closely my old friend, and, with the help 

 of Moore's valuable ' Hand-Book,' soon discovered its value. I am 

 advised, for obvious reasons, not to publish the exact locality, but 

 will add that it is ' not a hundred miles ' from the place whence I 

 date this." 



Veronica spicata, Vicia Bithynica, 8fc., in North Wales. 



The President read the following note, from Mr. T. W. Gissing, 

 dated Worcester, November 3, 1852 : — 



"Observing in the ' Phy tologist ' for November (Phytol. iv. 734) 

 that Messrs. Shipley and Reynolds had seen Veronica spicata in 

 North Wales, I was reminded that I had discovered the same plant 

 by the Severn, in September, 1851, about four miles from Worcester. 

 There seems considerable doubt respecting its wildness. Certainly 

 its habitat was somewhat suspicious, being within a few yards of a 

 garden ; but all the plants of V. spicata I have observed in gardens 

 have invariably been hairy, generally very much so ; whereas the 



