916 



produce the three species mentioned, without some assistance from 

 the hand of man. He wished the information as to Dryopteris were 

 more complete. 



Stems of Ferns as an Article of Food. 



The following extract from 'Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China,' 

 by Mons. Hue, was read : — 



" ' A dish much distinguished in our esteem, was furnished by a 

 plant very common in France, and the merit of which has never yet 

 been adequately appreciated ; we refer to the young stems of Fern ; 

 when these are gathered quite young, before they are covered with 

 down, and while the first leaves are bent and rolled up in themselves, 

 you have only to boil them in pure water to realize a dish of delicious 

 Asparagus." ' 



Botanical Society of London. 



Friday, February 4, 1853.— Arthur Henfrey, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., 

 in the chair. 



The following donations were announced : — ' Reports by the Juries 

 on the Subjects in the 30 Classes into which the Exhibition was di- 

 vided ;' presented by the Royal Commissioners. ' Second Report of 

 the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 ;' presented by the Com- 

 missioners. * Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England ;' 

 presented by the Society. ' Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Sci- 

 ence ;' presented by the publishers. The 'Zoologist' for January, 

 1853 ; presented by Mr. E. Newman. ' Journal of the Statistical 

 Society of London ;' presented by the Society. ' Report of the Coun- 

 cil of the Art Union of London, for 1852;' presented by the Council. 

 'Journal of the Society of Arts;' presented by the Society. 



Mr. Richard Bardin presented a collection of plants collected by 

 him on the last expedition sent in search of Sir John Franklin. 



Mr. A. Irvine exhibited a specimen of Aspleniura fontanum col- 

 lected at Ashford, near Petersfield, Hants. 



Mr. J. T. Syme read a paper, being ' Notices of the Localities of 

 Rare Plants in the Neighbourhood of London.' (See p. 859). 



