140 



an opponent of "hair splitting," and seems to try and 

 reduce the number of species as much as possible. In the 

 buckler fern section, it clumps spinulosum, dilatatum vemotum 

 and aemulum under one species, remarking that " the four 

 have been considered as species, but have no tangible 

 characters to separate them." 



On the other hand, Babbington's manual (a rather old 

 edition, which also differs somewhat from the above in 

 nomenclature), accepts each as a distinct species. Lowe, 

 in his book on ferns in "The Young Collector's Series," 

 apparently makes no mention of a form or species called 

 vemotum, except as a variety of dilatatum. He sub-divides a 

 common species spinulosum into three sections, consisting 

 oi aemulum, alpinum and dilatatum, presumably not admitting 

 to a form spinulosum which is distinct from the above three. 



" Hooker and Bentham," again, gives no sub-species or 

 varieties to the male fern, being content with the remark 

 that it is one of the commonest and most variable of 

 British ferns. Lowe adopts the sub-division familiar to 

 most of us, i.e. filix mas, pseudo mas (paleaceum) and pro- 

 pinqua. Babbington . is more confusing and gives as 

 varieties of Lastvea filix mas, forms named by different 

 authorities as Bovvevi, affinis and abbveviata. 



With regard to the lady fern, '? Hooker and Bentham " 

 prefers not to notice any named varieties or sub-species, 

 while Babbington gives brain-confusing descriptions of 

 three, leaving Lowe to adopt a complicated sub-division to 

 include all the known variations. 



Most authorities certainly tend to refuse specific rank to 

 Lastvea aemula and dilatata } but Lowe seems to be the only 

 one who gives a good reason for his opinion. He tells us 

 that he transplanted a number of plants of L. aemula, taken 

 from a hill-top, into his garden, some into pots, others into 

 open ground. In a few years, most of those grown in open 

 ground had changed their character and became indistin- 



