5i0 



Proceedings. 



differed 



made into a separate species, as Dr. Coughtrey proposed. 



3. "Notes on Rare Ferns," by P. Thomson, 



The two mounted ferns on the table were discovered by Mr. Purdie and 

 myself during a walking tour we made to some of the southern districts of the 

 province during the month of March last. They are believed to be new to 

 the district, or at least have never been described before. 



The first one is a Lomaria, and was found growing among L. banksii, but 

 differs from it in several particulars. The locality was a small rocky bay not 

 far from the Nuggets, and the plants were growing almost within reach of the 

 breakers at high water. It is to be regretted that neither of us were provided 

 with anything for the safe carrying of botanical specimens, having left our 

 usual impedimenta behind at the hotel at Port Molyneux, in order to lighten 

 the walk along the beach. The specimens had consequently to be crammed 

 into a bag, by which they were mostly a little damaged. 



The fern above spoken of has been since determined to be Lomaria dura. 



The circumstance is very interesting, as the fern has not hitherto been found 



on the mainland, but was supposed to be entirely confined to the Chatham 

 Islands . 



The second specimen is evidently an Alsophila, resembling A. colensoi. 

 It was gathered in a patch of bush on the north side of the river Puerua, not 



Hon. Mai 



It 



was growing in a rather densely crowded spot, the trees high overhead and 

 close undergrowth. The fronds of the plant from which the specimen was 

 taken were about four feet long, but the stem was short. 



Mr 



differs 



From the 



midrib of the frond proceeds a short stem, which immediately divides into two 

 pinnae radiating from each other at a considerable angle, and, as the pinnae are 

 opposite, the variety is a very beautiful one indeed. The locality where this 

 Alsophila was discovered is a small clearing near the top of Pine Hill, 



in. 



Mr. Kirk remarked that although the ferns named could not be considered 

 in any way new, yet the occurrence of Lomaria dura in the South Island was 

 of great interest. Previously it had only been known as a native of the 



W . L. Williams 



about ten or eleven years ago, and subsequently collected by Captain Gilbert 

 Mair, and afterwards by Mr. Henry Travers in his investigation of the flora and 

 fauna of those groups. The structure of the fertile frond approached close to 

 L. banksii, but it was of much greater size, while the barren fronds closelv 

 resembled those of L. discolor. The Alsophila was simply a fern with 



