90 AMERICAN FERN ‘JOURNAL 
A FrRuITLEss Searcu For AspLENIUM MONTANUM IN 
PENNSYLVANJA.—The history of the alleged finding of 
Asplenium fontanum in Pennsylvania was fully described 
several years ago in the Fern Bulletin, and need not be 
repeated here. It has no doubt been searched for by 
many botanists in subsequent years, but apparently 
without success. The desirability of obtaining soil tests 
upon this species for inclusion in the writer’s paper on 
the soil reactions of rock ferns, made a further effort to 
find it seem worth while. The original report gave the 
habitat as limestone cliffs; but there are no limestone 
cliffs on the Lycoming Creek, where the find was alleged 
to have been made. Nevertheless visits to the region 
were planned, starting from the town of Williamsport, 
which lies just east of the valley of this creek. 
Cliffs of brown shale and sandstone were found to form 
one or the other bank of Lycoming Creek for many miles 
above its mouth. In summer these proved to support 
so abundant a growth of Filiz fragilis and Woodsia Ilven- 
sis that any Aspleniwm fontanum which might occur 
there would be extremely difficult to find. It was ac- 
cordingly decided to make another trip in the winter, 
when the fronds of these obscuring species would be 
withered down, while the plant sought, being evergreen, 
would, if present at all, be in sight. 
Early in January, 1920, Dr. Everett G. Logue and the 
writer took the trip. The stream was frozen over sol- 
idly in most places, making travel comparatively easy, 
and permitting access to many cliffs which were out of 
reach during the summer. As hoped, the Filiz and 
Woodsia were invisible, and the only fern which could 
in any way (at a distance) be mistaken for the species 
sought was Asplenium Trichomanes; and a near view 
gave it away at once. The weather, while cold, was not 
unpleasant, so everything seemed to favor the finding of 
