222 VARIETIES OF FERNS IN THE BliJSTOL PISTRTOT. 



than that, resolve — that nothing shall ever sever the con- 

 nexion ? 



As regards the classification of varieties, the following 

 table will show ( I ) tlie generally accepted snbdivision and (2) 

 the extent to which discoveries have been made up to the 

 present time in the more important species; and though, in 

 some of the species the chain of evidence is not so com- 

 plete, enough is already known to show that the same 

 principle applies, and that it is only a question of time 

 when all species of any importance will ring the changes 

 to every reasonable extent, though, iri some of tlio smaller 

 kinds it would not be easy to detect all the distinctions 

 even if it were possible for tliem to exist. 



DESCllirTION OF THE CHAEAUTEllH. 



Of the marked characters which are now known to run 

 pretty generally through the different sj)ecios of ferns, that 

 known as "The Plumose " is the most interesting and per- 

 haps the most beautiful. In its nature it corresponds 

 indisputably with, the double flower in phanerogamic 

 botany. In this class are to be found some of the most 

 beautiful objects in nature; anything more symmetrically 

 and delicately beautiful than a luxuriant plant of any of 

 the best forms of Athyrium f.-f. plumosum, it is imjiossiblo 

 to conceive, nor would it, I tliink, be easy to find, a unich 

 finer object than a well-grown plant of Scolopeiuirium vul- 

 gare crispum of the better sort — (this being the plumose 

 form of that species) ; and when I mention that Adiantum 

 Tarleyense is not a species, but simply the plumose form of 

 A. tenorum Ghiesbrechti, or some other kindred species, I 

 think I shall have said onougli. The old, very old, form of 

 Polypodinm vulgare Oambricum, is the plumose form of that 

 species. The most marked characters of this class of varieties 



