Bibliographical Notices. 361 



difficulties of science, by so doing. We believed tbat it was generally 

 allowed tbat the nomenclature of botany was in a better state than 

 that of zoology. Many changes have been made recently ; but they 

 have been rendered necessary by an endeavour to bring the nomen- 

 clature of different countries into harmony, not by an attempt to 

 rake up and use obsolete terms which may be detected by a careful 

 search into ancient or obscure writers. Hooker has not acted in 

 the latter way, neither has Fries or any of the great authorities on 

 botanical nomenclature. 



But enough of this. Under each species the author has given a 

 fairly good popular description of the plant, and some useful hints 

 concerning its best mode of cultivation, and also, occasionally, other 

 remarks of more or less interest. The Cystopteris dentata is appa- 

 rently combined with the C. fragilis (we say, apparently, for the 

 name is not mentioned) ; but the C. DicJcieana is kept distinct. It 

 does not seem to us to be more constant or more distinct than several 

 of the 86 forms oi AthyriumjUix-fcemina. The difference stated to 

 exist in their spores, however, is undoubtedly a point in Mr. New- 

 man's favour. Becurvum is retained as the specific name of the 

 Lastrea tsmula or fcenisecii of authors. If the oldest name is 

 adopted, it should be ceinula, which is much older than Lowe's 

 fcenisecii or Newman's recurva. We do not find that Bree ever 

 called the sj^ecies by that name ; and even if he had done so, the 

 * Hortus Kewensis ' is of much earlier date. In this case no name 

 has been luiiversally adopted, and we are therefore fully justified in 

 reverting to the oldest. Multijlorum and spinosum are still retained 

 for the L. dilatata and L. spimdosa of nearly all other authors. 

 Mr. Newman's own glandulosum is kept distinct. He also sepa- 

 rates uliffinosum from the Aspidium cristatnm of Smith. A. 

 remotum is likewise retained as a species. Mr. Newman con- 

 siders the Aspidium (or Polypodium) alpestre " very closely allied to 

 the common Lady Fern." Superficially considered, it seems so ; 

 but we think that they are far from being closely allied in reality. 

 Asplenium acutum is separated from A. adiantum-nigrum. We give 

 no opinion upon this, although inclined to consider them forms of 

 one species. Asplenium Petrarchce is stated to be a real native of 

 Ireland. We hope that it may prove to be so. Mr. Newman ad- 

 heres to the name of Hymenophyllum unilaterale for the //. W^ilsoni, 

 although, if we mistake not, it has been shown that they are not the 

 same plant. Ophioglossum lusitanicvm is said to grow near the 

 Land's End in Cornwall. Is it not the O. vulgatum /3. ambiguum 

 which is found there, as it certainly is in the Scilly Isles ? 



]Mr. Newman takes credit to himself for having done much towards 

 causing the present popularity of Ferns. It may be a questionable 

 point if he has done good or harm thereby. The result is that all 

 our most interesting Ferns are being uselessly extirpated in all tole- 

 rably accessible places, — uselessly ; for a very small number of those 

 pulled up are ever kept alive, or preserved as specimens, or studied 

 botanically. Those who visit Wales after some few years of interval 

 cannot fail to notice and deplore the result. The plants which they 



