284 Bibliographical Notices. 



The resemblance of this species to A. gemmacea is heightened 

 by the habit of elongating itself in the form of a column, when 

 closed. 



It does not throw out filiferous filaments when irritated, but 

 the convoluted bands are protruded from wounds in the base. 

 Examining a small portion of one of these, I found two sorts of 

 capsules ; one of a lengthened oval form, g^th of an inch in 

 length, from which a thread apparently simple, ^th. of an inch 

 long, is evolved ; the other and more numerous, excessively 

 linear, ^yoth in length. I am not sure, however, whether these 

 latter be capsules, as I did not see one discharge. 



In the skin surrounding the margin the capsules are linear- 

 oblong and very minute, T7 jo ta m l en g tn - Those in the walls 

 of the tentacles are similar in form and size. 



The name is from BaXXla, an olive shoot, in allusion to its 

 elongated form and glaucous colour. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



The Ferns of Great Britain. Illustrated by John E. Sowerby. 

 The Descriptions, Synonyms, fyc. by C. Johnson. London : 

 J. E. Sowerby, 3 Mead Place, Lambeth. 



We have received the first two Numbers of this new work upon the 

 British Ferns, and have much pleasure in being able to recommend 

 it to botanists and fern growers. Mr. Johnson has succeeded in 

 making his part of the book readable, without omitting the requisite 

 technical descriptions of the plants. We think that he has acted wisely 

 in retaining the names that are now most in use, for those are also 

 we believe the more correct ones, in nearly if not quite all cases. 

 Much as we are indebted to Mr. Newman for our present knowledge 

 of British Ferns, and greatly as his earlier writings tended to the 

 adoption of a correct nomenclature, we cannot allow the present 

 opportunity to pass without expressing sorrow that he should have 

 made such extensive and, as we think, uncalled-for changes in the 

 names in the lately-issued new edition of his ' History of British 

 Ferns.' It is right however to add, that we have only seen his 

 abridged account of them, published in connection with the ' Phyto- 

 logist,' as we have not yet had an opportunity of examining his 

 larger work with the requisite care. Having paid no slight attention 

 to the nomenclature of Ferns, we do not expect that our views will be 

 much changed by its perusal. 



But to return to the work before us. It may be considered as a 

 proof of how little objection we make to the describer's part of it, 

 when we mention a subject of such slight consequence as the names 

 of the localities. It is nevertheless rather singular that all the Welsh 

 names are spelled wrong ; one of them indeed we have not identified, 

 it is Moel Sichog ; a name that does not occur in Mr. Moore's very 



