66 ASPLENIFM GEKMAXICUM. [Mttrch, 



to boast of. London and Paris have each many more than this 

 riverj -which is larger than both of the rivers vrhich flow thi'ough 

 the celebrated capitals of England and France. We know only 

 fonr^ which unite the banks of the fairest British stream^ viz. the 

 bridges of Taymouthj Aberfeldie^ Dnnkeld, and Perth. There are 

 also two in the domain at Taymouth Pai'k, but they are private 

 property; so is the bridge of Dunkeld^ though the pubhc may 

 use it on payment of a fixed toll. There is a good feny at Logie- 

 rait; yet a few more bridges would be convenient. The distance 

 from Taymonth to Perth is thirty-seven miles, and allowing for 

 the bendings of the river, not veiy considerable, the distance may 

 be foiiy miles. Four bridges for this extent is rather a short 

 allowance. The distance between London and "Windsor is about 

 twenty miles, and the number of bridges is neaiiy as many. The 

 population on the banks of the Thames above London Bridge is 

 probably one hundred times as many as the inliabitants of an 

 equal length of the Tay. 



The Perth, Dunkeld, and Blair of Athol railway will probably 

 increase the population of this beautiful and feiiile tract ; at all 

 events it will supply the means of transporting the natural pro- 

 ductions of the country, \iz. timber, cattle, sheep, horses, dairy 

 and agiicultm'al produce, to remote parts of the kingdom, where 

 there is a good market for these necessaries. Instead of a canier 

 conveying goods once a week, and a post-cart conveying letters 

 every other day, there will be daily intercourse estabhshed with 

 all the great marts of the South ; provisions will be as plentifid 

 and cheap in the Highlands as in Glasgow and Perth, and the 

 tide of population will flow upwards and onwards till the High- 

 land glens are as populous as the Carse of Gowrie. 



ASPLENIUM GERMA:MCrM IX SO^^IEESETSHrRE. 



To the Editor of the ' Fhytologist: 



Miss PajTie has obligingly sent me the following account of 

 her discovery of this rare Fern in Somersetshii^e, and with her 

 permission I foi-ward it for the information of those readers of 

 the ^Phytologist' who are interested in Ferns: — 



"When at Lynmouth in the latter end of October, 1854, I 

 was informed that Asplenium septentrionale was to be found in 



