213 Linnaan Society : — 



with the third through Marginulina ; the third with the fourth 

 through Glohigerina ; and the fourth with the last through Uvige- 

 rina. 



Whether these singular and little-known animals are Rhizopodes, 

 or belong to the Amoeba, remains yet to be satisfactorily made out. 



London, June 18, 1855. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY. 



January 16, 1855. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read, an extract from a Letter, addressed by the Rev. William 

 Henry Hawker to the President, dated " Horndean, Hants, Dec. 11, 

 1854." After referring to his previous discovery of Asplenium fon- 

 tanum in the neighbourhood of his place of residence, Mr. Hawker 

 proceeds as follows : — 



" My discoveries of the past year are not altogether without 

 interest. Last year I paid a visit to the English Lakes, and had the 

 good fortune to find Polystichum Lonchitis growing near UUeswater. 

 I brought away one plant and sent a frond to Newman, who, how- 

 ever, does not mention it in his new Edition. This year (in July) 

 I went to the Lakes again and had the pleasure of confirming the 

 above discovery ; and, moreover, on my mentioning it to other col- 

 lectors, a search was instituted, which has resulted in its turning up 

 in several new localities in that district, e. g. Helvellyn, Fairfield, 

 &c. This fern has never before, I believe, been found in the Lake 

 country. Whilst there this year I went a few days' botanical 

 ramble with Mr. Clowes of Windermere, and on one of these days, 

 whilst clambering on a terrific precipice, I had the delight to find 

 Aspl. septentrionale growing in such quantity, that I took away I 

 suppose between 60 and 70 plants and left more than 100, and 

 here right amongst them I found 2 plants of Asplenium germanicum ! 

 A guide was with me, who found close by Woodsia Ilvensis growing 

 in some quantity. Three good things were they not, to be growing 

 on a spot only a few yards square ? It was on an outcrop of iron 

 ore, winch seems to me always to be a good ' matrix' (.'') for ferns. 

 This took place not many miles from Scaw Fell, though not on it. It 

 was of course plain that the locality had never been before visited 

 by a botanist. Mr. Clowes found Euphorbia Cyparissias growing on 

 Whitbarrow Fells in great quantity. I have gathered it on the 

 mountain limestone of Somersetshire near Wells, and I should think 

 it will prove to be a true native ; on the continent it is the com- 

 monest of weeds, especially where there is limestone. I followed 

 your advice about keeping the Helix Pomatia till the spring, when I 

 fed them up and kept them till impregnated, and then turned them 

 out. The dry summer was rather against them, but I dare say they 

 are all right, though I have not searched for them since. I have 

 found another rare shell in the Ashford woods, Clausilia Rolphii — I 

 think about its fifth or sixth locality in England. 



