3i 



tbe frond is abruptly rounded off, the midrib being 

 either abruptly suppressed near the end of the frond, as 

 in S. v. radiosovum, which we ourselves have found wild 

 more than once, and in which the sori or spore heaps 

 radiate round the semi-circular frond terminal, like the 

 figures on the upper half of a clock face, or the midrib 

 projects from the back or front with or without the rudi- 

 ments of a pouch. S. v. pevaf evens has been crossed with a 

 fertile form of crispum, the frilled type, and given a crispum 

 " peraferens," thus improving the peraferens, but hardly the 

 crispum. Osmunda regalis we have mentioned, since very 

 curiously the majority of the huge specimens in the R. H. S. 

 gardens at Wisley have their subdivisions terminated more 

 or less squarely, indicating " truncation " influence. 

 Among exotics Polypodium hexagonoptevum truncatum, a 

 large growing close ally of our Beech Fern, was sent to 

 us many years ago as found by Mr. W. Maxon, of the 

 Smithsonian Institute. It reverted entirely to the normal 

 in a year or two, but of recent years has reassumed the 

 character partially. It is curious that the leaves of the 

 Tulip tree, Lirlodendron tulipifernm, display the truncate 

 character as a normal feature, being quite square ended,, 

 the midrib being abruptly suppressed. 



Chas. T. Druery, V.M.H., F.L.S. 



FERNS FOR BEGINNERS. 



One of our members in a friendly criticism of our 

 11 Gazette," which is always welcome to us as possibly 

 providing material for an article, suggests that many 

 members may be only beginners, and that a larger pro- 

 portion of information for their particular benefit might 

 well be given in place of the more advanced matter which 

 is perhaps beyond their practical comprehension. It is, 

 however, clear that this admits of some argument. In the 



