J 94 POLYPODIUM FALCATUM. SICKLE-LEAVED POLYPOD. 



more likely we are to make new ones. The ferns of the Atlantic 

 States have been so well studied that any novel form is soon 

 referred to some well-known species ; but the ferns of the Pacific 

 coast are not so well known, and thus when some peculiar-look- 

 ing individuals are met with it is uncertain what the botanist will 

 do with them. Our present plant is as yet one of these doubt- 

 ful plants. It was first brought to notice by Dr. Kellogg, who 

 exhibited specimens to the California Academy of Sciences, 

 December nth, 1854, from Mr. Swan, of Shoalwater Bay, Wash- 

 ington Territory, and who named and described it as Poly podium 

 falcatiim at the meeting following, December i8th. Next we 

 find it in Professor Eaton's hand from specimens received from 

 Lieutenant A. V. Kautz, of the United States army, who collected 

 it in Southw^estern Oregon. Professor Eaton seems not to have 

 detected the identity of these specimens with Kellogg's descrip- 

 tion, and so gave it a new name and description as Polypodmm 

 glycyrhiza in "Silliman's American Journal of Science and Arts" 

 for November, 1856 (vol. 22, p. 138), and not in July, as he states 

 in his *' Ferns of North America." Then the writer of this was 

 furnished with excellent fresh specimens by Mrs. Fanny E. Briggs 

 from LaCentre, Washington Territory, from which our drawing 

 was chiefly made ; and the only other record of any specimens 

 that we have at hand is in the " check list of North American 

 Ferns in Davenport Herbarium of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society," where specimens are reported as from "Oregon, 

 1875 ; and from Washington Territory, 1876, Joseph Howell." 

 It will be seen from this how very litde is known of this fern, 

 and from this it comes about that some authors write of it as 

 "probably a variety of Polypodhun Californicum',' others as 

 " probably a variety of Polypodmm vulgare^' and others, as for 

 instance Professor Eaton, as a disdnct species. It is not our 

 purpose to illustrate what may finally be considered mere 

 varieties in our "Flowers and Ferns of the United States," as 

 no doubt many of the Pacific forms will come to be regarded ; so 

 we give this because, with Professor Eaton, we believe its specific 



