138 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



to me that Mr. Weatherby is right in what he says 

 for if ever this bugbear nomenclature is to be laid 

 by the heels, not only in this, but in all the other 

 sciences, personal opinions will have to be made sub- 

 servient, and rules strictly adhered to. For this 

 reason I have followed the new order of things to 

 the letter, as laid down in Mr. Weatherby's paper. 



Common Polypody, Pol];podium vulgare L. 

 This fern so far does not appear to be the common 

 one it usually is in most places. Certainly several 

 stations for it have been found, but in none of them 

 can it be said to be anything like abundant, nor have 

 any of its numerous varieties been noted. 



Narrow-leaved Spleenwort, Ath})rium an- 

 gustifolium (Mich.x.) Milde. Only one station for 

 this smooth and delicately leaved fern has been 

 found so far. This is in the centre of a large wood 

 which has been partially cleared, and here in some- 

 what of a gully which is usually wet, is angasii- 

 folium found in some profusion, its principal com- 

 panion being the Ostrich Fern, Ptereiis nodulosa. 



Christmas Fern, Pol^stichum acroslichoides 

 var. Scheinitzii (Beck) Small. In one corner of the 

 above wood that harbours A. angustifolium, this var- 

 iety of the Christmas Fern can be found in almost 

 if not greater abundance than the type, the sori ap- 

 pearing in some cases on the tips of every pinnae, 

 which are toothed, and the fronds usually larger than 

 in typical plants; no doubt due to the cutting down 

 of the trees in this particular part of the wood, which 

 allows the sunlight to act as a strong stimulus, thus 

 producing plants of extra luxuriance; see "How 

 Ferns Grow," Slosson, 1906, pp. 88-89. 



Braun's Holly Fern, Pol^stkhum Braunii 

 (Spenner) Fee. This handsome and uncommon fern 

 with its long chaffy stalks has only been found in 

 one locality known as the Gulf on the east side of 

 the village. Here during the present season I 

 counted over thirty plants. The time is probably 

 not far distant when misfortune may overtake this 

 species in the shape of being ushered into a new 

 genus, when it will be known as Aetopteron Braunii 

 (Spenner) comb. nov. See "American Fern Jour- 

 nal," Vol. X, 1920, pp. 88-89. Will finality in 

 nomenclatural matters be ever reached? 



Broad Beech Fern, Thdypicris hexagonoplera 

 (Michx.), n. comb. The Broad Beech Fern is ap- 

 parently rare here, as I have only come across a 

 very few examples so far, and these mostly small 

 ones. With regard to the difficulty sometimes ex- 

 perienced in determining this species from the Long 

 Beech Fern, ThclyplcTis Phegoptcris, I would here 

 like to draw attention to an article by Mr. C. A. 

 Weatherby entitled, "A Neglected Character in the 

 Beech Ferns," which appeared in the "American 

 Fern Journal," Vol. IX, 1919, No. 4, pp. 121-122, 

 in which the author points out how the difference 



in the shape, size and coloring of the scales, which 

 in both species are borne along the main mid-rib on 

 the under side of the fronds, forms an almost certain 

 index to the species. I have found this hitherto 

 neglected character most useful in determining my 

 specimens. Another character in the Beech Ferns 

 is described by Mr. E. H. Clarkson in "The Am- 

 erican Fern Journal," Vol. X, 1920, No. 2, p. 60. 

 Here it is pointed out that when the fronds of the 

 Long Beech Fern die down in the autumn the coiled 

 tops of the next year's croziers may be seen pro- 

 truding a little above the ground. This is never the 

 case with the Broad Beech Fern whose croziers do 

 not appear in the fall nor yet in very early spring. 

 Fine fresh green fronds of it, however, can be found 

 in September when Pbegopteris is of a dull olive 

 colour and no new fronds whatever are to be seen. 

 In this country one can hardly walk in some of the 

 woods without treading the Beech and Oak Fern, 

 Thelypleris Dryopteris, under foot, and yet if I 

 remember rightly neither of them are common in 

 England, at all events I can only call to mind 

 having once seen them at Bolton Abbey, in York- 

 shire, and there only in one particular wood. The 

 order in which the Beech Ferns appear in my list is 

 different to that of the Manual, and has been made 

 necessary by the new classification as set forth in 

 Mr. Weatherby's paper. See page 176. 



The Marginal Shield Fern, Thelypteris mar- 

 ginalis (L.) Nieuwl. This is a well distributed fern 

 but more abundant in some localities than others. 

 Probably the Gulf already referred to is the best 

 station for it, and here I have found a few examples 

 of the var. elegans, J. Robinson, a handsome form 

 with larger fronds and lobed or toothed pinnules. 



Goldie's Fern, Thelypleris Goldiana (Hook) 

 Nieuwl. I.e. This large and very handsome species 

 is what may be termed one of the rarer or more ex- 

 clusive ferns, and I only know of two stations for it, 

 one in the Gulf, and the other in the same wood 

 where A. angustifolium is found. Only a very few 

 plants occur at either place. 



Boot's Shield Fern, Thelyteris Boottii (Tuck- 

 erm.) Nieuwl. Hardly sufficient time has yet been 

 given to this species to express any very decided 

 opinion, as to its rarity or otherwise. I am inclined 

 to think, however, that it is fairly well distributed. 



Clinton's Wood Fern, Thelyleris cristata var. 

 Clintoniana (D. C. Eaton), n. comb. The same re- 

 mark applies equally well to this species as to 

 Goldie's Fern, both being found in the same localities 

 and in about equal limited numbers. 



Spreading Wood Fern, Thdypleris spinulosa 

 var. americana (Fisch.), n. comb. This form of the 

 Spinulosc Wood Fern appears to be by no means 

 rare, and can be found, I think, in most of the large 

 woods. The type and various varieties, however, 



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