438 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 
The Natural History Review. Published quarterly. 
London: Williams and Norgate. 
The reviews in this the July number of this excellent periodical 
are, as usual, mostly zoological. The only botanical articles are 
a review of ‘A Popular History of the Palms,’ by B. Seemann. 
Among the original communications there is a Paper on the 
Fungi of the South-west of Ireland, by William Andrews, Esq. 
The author of this paper expresses his wonderment that so little 
attention has been devoted to a tribe of plants so. remarkable 
for the beauty and simplicity of their forms, their wonderfully 
varied and vivid colouring, and, above all, as being vegetable cu- 
riosities distinguished by their economy, duration, regularity of 
appearance, reproductive capabilities, etc. We have often ex- 
pressed the same feeling, and venture again to repeat it. Their 
economical applications, especially as articles of diet, have been 
hitherto strangely neglected. Experience has satisfied us that . 
many species would, if properly prepared, be excellent esculents, 
and it is not improbable that several might be useful in medicme 
and the arts. We are much obliged to Dr. Lindsay for directing 
our attention to the hitherto almost neglected tribe of Lichens. 
Will any mycologist take the trouble of investigating this far 
more numerous family with a like object? We predict that his 
investigations will be attended with similar or perhaps greater 
results. 
BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 
Rare Westmoreland Ferns.—I find I have in the ‘ Ferns of Great Britain 
and Ireland, Nature Printed, inadvertently given to Mr. Clowes of Win- 
dermere the honour of having discovered in Westmoreland both Woodsia 
ilvensis and the curious nariety of Oystopteris fragilis called interrupta. 
Both these, it appears, were originally discovered by Mr. Isaac Hudhart, 
now in Australia, and the habitats were pointed out by him to Mr. Clowes, 
to whom however the public are indebted for the knowledge that these 
interesting plants occur in the Lake country. I learn from Mr. Clowes 
that Hudhart found W. ilvensis first in 1853, on a Westmoreland moun- 
tain, and again in 1854 on two other mountains in the same county, and 
on one in Cumberland. For very obvious reasons it is not desirable to 
indicate these habitats more explicitly. Mr. Clowes informs me that he 
has lately found Lastrea dilatata var. glandulosa in quantity near Winder- 
mere. T. Moors, Chelsea. 
Verbascum virgatum.—Can any of our correspondents or readers inform 
