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standing perfectly still, the disturbed swarm, after a 

 chorus of buzzing, obviously took us for a fallen rock and 

 permitted us to glide gradually away unmolested. The 

 main point, however, is that the explorer abroad is usually 

 a general botanist on the look-out only for new species, and 

 a general glance satisfying him as to the species, he passes 

 on and does not pursue the quest pure and simple. 

 When, however, a man with an eye for varieties goes 

 abroad, as did the late Mr. S. Brown, to the Azores, very 

 fine varieties crop up, as, for example, Woodwavdia radicans 

 cristata, two grand crested varieties of L. dilatata and Asp. 

 Hemionitis multifidum and cvistatum, a form of which we 

 ourselves also found recently when there, plus a finely 

 crested Ptevis aquilina. In the United States Ferns are so 

 popular that a special Fevn Bulletin is issued quarterly 

 and a Fern chapter is instituted for the encouragement of 

 research. Here, again, quite recently varieties have been 

 found, and we are the happy possessor of Phegopteris 

 hexagonoptera tvuncata, like a huge Beech Fern, with all 

 tips squared and thorned, and Dennstaedtia punctilobula 

 cristata, prettily tasselled, sent us by Mr. W. R. Maxon of 

 the Smithsonian Institute, while fronds of a nicely crested 

 Athyrium were sent us not long since by a lady there. 

 These facts point to our mind to the conclusion that 

 wherever Ferns are plentiful it only needs proper hunting 

 to find varieties, and the keener and more persistent the 

 hunter the more there will be found. Mr. J. Moly, for 

 instance, resident in Dorset, discovered in the course of 

 years no less than 600 distinct varieties, numbering among 

 them many of our finest, mainly within the district, and 

 Dr. Wills, his neighbour at Chard, found a very large 

 number in addition. We cite these facts at length because 

 they constitute an encouragement to anyone enjoying 

 opportunities of search in ferny districts. q T. D. 



(To be continued.) 



