352 



THE CROSSING OF KERNS. 



Davallia-like form known as Cornubiense ; Lo sowed with 

 this a multifid form of bifidum. Here, again, the proof 

 is conchisive. Cornuhiense is well known to have a habit 

 of partial reversion — sometimes it is tlio whole frond, at 

 otlier times it is a portion only that reverts; these crosses 

 of Mr. Clapham (of which there wore about six) revert to an 

 ordinary multifid bifid frond, while the hnoly-cut portion is 

 forked at the apex of the frond and the apices of the pinntp, 

 exactly as was to have been expected in such a cross. 



I come now to my own experiments, and I must admit 

 that they were originally the result of accident, and that I 

 am mainly indebted to the late Rev. C. Padley for the 

 materials with which I worked. I have before alluded to 

 the extent to whicli fernists generally are under obligation 

 to Mr. Padley. The late Dr. Wills was another of this 

 class ; and if one mentions in connection with these and with 

 those before alluded to, the names of Dr. AUcliin, Mr. Grey 

 of Exeter, Mr. Jackson of Barnstaple, Mr. James of Vauvert, 

 Mr. Clowes of Windermere, Mr. Glover of Manchester and 

 Southport, and Mr. Phillips of Belfast, one will have men- 

 tioned all the original pioneers to whom the present and 

 future generations of British fernists are most indebted. 



Mr. Padley had given me, among others of his best ferns, 

 tliree very marked forms of P. angularo, his polydactyluni. 

 from the Vale of Avoca, his multilobum ovale (the divisions 

 of whose pinnules are not less marked than pretty), and his 

 inffiquale variegatum, an entirely unique form. Being very 

 much struck with the superiority of Mr. Padloy's polydacty- 

 1 un over all other crested forms of angulare, I sowed it often 

 freely with other forms, but keeping a record. Without 

 expecting a cross I sowed it with the cruciate form of an- 

 gulare before mentioned (Wakeloyanum), and I got two 

 plants of a polydactylous cruciatum. I sowed it with multi- 



