Notes AND NEws 123 
common which can be distinguished by the taste. It 
is a fact that different kinds vary in flavor, bitterness, 
astringency, ete.—but they also agree. Ferns differ, 
however, from lycopods, and equisets, which do not have 
this taste. The Ophioglossaceae have it to a slighter 
extent, I believe, as do the water fern-worts. I wish 
some one would verify or disprove that statement about 
the Ophioglossaceae. Those who wish to learn more 
about the ferns they already know may be interested 
to determine whether they can discover specific differ- 
ences, or generic. Some may come to have the expert- 
ness of the tea tasters who can tell whether a given 
sample of tea was picked on the morning of June third, 
1893, or on Sept. 6, in the evening, 1888, or something 
almost as difficult. © 
Le OIE | 
NOTES ON TWO CRESTED FERNS.—The list of the wild 
New England ferns seems to be complete, except for 
new localities to be found. The fern collector has to 
look for something else, and the hybrids and abnormal 
forms of ferns open a good field for hunting. 
In the British Islands many abnormal forms have 
been found and with these and plants raised from their 
spores, a quantity of beautiful abnormal forms have 
enriched the collections of the enthusiastic fern grower. 
In the United States very few abnormal forms have 
been found so far, but among them and some hybrids 
found wild, there are some plants of value, apt to pro- 
duce new forms. The taste for abnormal form growing 
is not much developed as yet but it is hoped that, when 
better known, these beautiful ferns will find more ad- 
mirers, 
It was my good luck to find two crested ferns 
Polystichum acrostichoides with crested fronds. That 
plant was described in the Fern Bulletin, vol. xx, page 
, one 
