1886-1887.] 537 



divaricatum for spores, he was much struck by finding the 

 under side of the pinuae profusely studded minute \\ith nodules, 

 surrounded, shuttlecock fashion, by scales. Applying a lens, 

 the central excrescence was found to be rounded, and of a 

 brilliant green, while the scales were of asymmetrical lanceolate 

 shape, and beautifully reticulated. It was difficult to believe 

 that these were bulbils, as then no ferns had been known to 

 produce bulbils on the under side of the fronds, and in the 

 place of sori. To test this, some of the pinuse were laid down 

 on sandy soil, and in a short time their bulbil character was 

 established, as in one case a frond with three pinuse had arisen, 

 and in many cases the circinate form had been assumed by 

 other less devoloped ones. The next discovery was that of the 

 singular and different phenomenon observed on A. f. f. 

 clarissima, in which there is a development of a perfect 

 prothallus, without the agency of the spore or apospory. Some 

 years ago, this very distinct and beautiful form of Athyrium 

 was found wild by Mr. Moule, of Ilfracombe, from whom it 

 passed into the possession of Colonel Jones, of Clifton. Many 

 attempts were made at the time to propagate from what were 

 supposed to be spores, but always without success, and at last 

 it was thought that the peculiar growth produced on this fern, 

 instead of sori, were merely abortive spore cases, and that the 

 plant, like some other abnormal forms, lacked the special 

 vigour necessary for the formation of perfect reproductive 

 spores. In 1883, after the previous discoveries had been made 

 known, the singular barren excrescences on A. f. f. clarissima 

 were examined microscopically, and were found to have very 

 material structural differences from the bulbils oi A. f. f. 

 plumosum, the former being solitary, budlike growths, seated 

 in the centre of a number of brown lanceolate scales, and without 

 a trace of indusium, while the latter were composed of five or 

 six, or more, flask-shaped bodies, each one larger than the 

 aforesaid bulbils, and seated within an undoubted indusium. 

 The masses were sufficiently large for the formation to be seen 

 by the naked eye, covering more than the space of an ordinary 

 sorus. At this stage no sign of spore or spore cases could be 



