A. CRISTATUMX MARGINALE AND A. SIMULATUM 73 
Rusby in October, 1880, are also to be referred here. 
Notholaena limitanea and N. limitanea mexicana are in 
all respects more robust than N. dealbata. That species 
differs particularly in its lesser size, its smaller rhizomes 
and smaller, often obtusely denticulate scales, its more 
slender (often capillary), paler stipes, its fewer pinnae, 
its narrow and much thinner segments (these for the 
most part with a narrowly cuneate base), its much 
more oblique veins (often apparent above), and in its 
very much fewer sporangia, these borne usually in a 
single row apart from the margin, commonly only one 
to an individual vein-branch. 
The relationship of N. limitanea and its subspecies 
with the variable complex of Mexican and South Amer- 
ican plants called N. nivea is about equally close. That 
collective species is distinguished in general, however, 
by its much greater size, its 2-3-pinnate blades, and 
its much larger, distinctly stalked, mostly cordate seg- 
ments, as well as by characters of soriation and rhizome 
scales. 
WasuinetTon, D. C. 
Aspidium cristatum x marginale and A. simulatum 
RAYNAL DODGE 
[The following extracts from a letter written to Mr. 
C. H. Knowlton by Mr. Dodge in 1907 give a more de- 
tailed account of his discovery of the Massachusetts 
fern and the hybrid between the crested and marginal 
ferns than has yet appeared and should be of interest to 
our readers.]| 
Since boyhood I have been interested in nature study 
and in making collections of natural objects. My first 
interest was in birds, bird-egging and gunning, then in 
