1038 



m 



concluding, I will say a few words on the study of varieties. I know 

 it has been urged as an argument against it, that it tends to increase 

 spurious species ; but this statement is an error, as the effect of it 

 would be quite the other way, and as nothing can tend so much to do 

 away with spurious species as a study of all the changes species 

 undergo. In the kindred science of Zoology, when we are in doubt 

 about points of economy, we seek them, often, not in the perfect ani- 

 mal, but in the monster. Why, then, should we not, in plants, apply 

 the same rule, and seek amidst the vagaries of monstrosities for the 

 rules which govern regular forms ? — for thence can they often be 

 deduced, as by the breach of the law we oftentimes are reminded of 

 its existence. To show that this theory, system, or whatever you 

 will call it, is not unnatural, I have drawn out a table of eight species, 

 in which we find these forms, now described, prevailing in the follow- 

 ing ratio : — The species are male fern, hart's-tongue, common poly- 

 pody, northern hard fern, lady-fern, maiden-hair spleenwort, angular 

 shield-fern, and prickly shield-fern. Amongst these, ramosum occurs 

 in the first four; multifidum, in the whole eight; Cambricum, in the 

 first four and the sixth, i. e., in five ; sinuatum, in the same five ; 

 and the subform abbreviatum, in the first, second, third, fifth, seventh, 

 and eighth, six in all. This concludes the subject. Whether my 

 deductions are overdrawn, or not, you can judge for yourselves, as 

 you have before you the greater part of the specimens from which, as 

 the materials, they were drawn. Many of these, however, especially 

 among the subforms, are now very inadequate pictures of what they 

 were when growing, as it is impossible, even by the most careful dry- 

 ing, to preserve many points of importance in distinguishing between 

 the forms. They are all, with very few exceptions, which I have 

 marked, Irish specimens, gathered during the last two years, and 

 therefore fair specimens of the forms to be found in a state of nature." 

 Mr. Kinahan, in conclusion, gave a tabular view of his proposed 

 classification ; detailing the reasons why he considered that the pre^- 

 sent nomenclature included specific characters that caused confusion. 



Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. 



On Bothrodendron, Ulodendron, Stifftnaria, 8fc., and restoration of 



Sphenopteris elegans. 



At a late meeting of this Society the following paper, intituled ' On 

 Bothrodcndron, Ulodendron, Stigmaria, and other characteristic Plants 



