3530 Dublin Natural History Society. 



great many of the mysteries and doubts that at present envelope the Fauna of this 

 country." 



Mr. Kinahan then exhibited a plant of a fern, a variety of Polystichum aculea- 

 tum, found by him at Bohernabreena, county Dublin, in 1849, which in 1850 was 

 handed over to the care of the College Botanical Garden, where it had thriven, but 

 had not exhibited any seed-vessels as yet, though presenting a tendency to throw out 

 bulbilla?. Mr. K. remarked on the general redundancy of form in the ferns, and ex- 

 hibited specimens ; and referred to this as the only known example of the reverse, and 

 made the following statement : — 



" The example of Polystichum aculeatum now submitted to your Society, is curi- 

 ous as being an exception to the law which seems generally to prevail among the ferns 

 as regards varieties. These generally differ from the typical plant, by having some- 

 thing added to them, either an actual expansion or a subdivision of the typical parts. 

 Of this we have a very good example in those varieties of Athyrium Filix-foemina, to 

 which the name of viviparce has been given, in which we find tassels appended to the 

 pinnae. We also have a good example of it in the variety of Polystichum angulare 

 obtained at Ballinteer in this county, in which, as you see, the pinna?, particularly near 

 the upper extremity, and the frond, are enlarged, so as to give a more expanded ap- 

 pearance to the entire frond. Now let us contrast these with the variety to which I 

 first drew your attention, as the great difference must strike you at once. In this we 

 find the broad pinna? of the type replaced by narrow linear leaflets in some of the fronds, 

 resembling spines or points, while in others they have totally disappeared, especially at 

 the upper half of the frond, which in many presents a long filament totally destitute 

 of any pinna?. These appearances have continued constant under cultivation, as must 

 be evident if we compare the plant now with these fronds taken from it in August, 1849, 

 when I found it growing on slate rocks by the side of a stream, which, running through 

 Frairstown House demesne, falls into the Dodder just above Bohernabreena. This 

 glen seems favourable to the growth of varieties, as I also obtained there these speci- 

 mens of Aspidium Filix-mas. Varieties of ferns are, indeed, commoner than many 

 think, in particular places abounding almost to the exclusion of the ordinary type ; 

 thus, at Kilmaganny, county Kilkenny, the variety of the common hart's-tongue to 

 which the name of ramosum has been given, is far commoner than the ordinary undi- 

 vided form. This is curious, as many have denied its being anything but a garden va- 

 riety. The variety of Polystichum to which I first drew your attention has, as I stated 

 before, continued constant under cultivation ; it has not, however, produced any trace 

 of fructification, though this year some of the fronds show a tendency to produce germs 

 in the axils of the pinna?. In conclusion, I beg leave to draw your attention to these 

 fine specimens of Asplenium marinum, some fronds of which are 24 inches in length, 

 bearing on them pinna? of 2 inches dimensions, which far exceed any I have seen 

 recorded in either this country or in England. They were obtained at Foxe's Cove, 

 Ballymacarte, county Waterford, in holes in the sea-cliffs, and, when growing, fur- 

 nished one of the most elegant examples of vegetable beauty I ever saw." 



Mr. Ffennel!, Inspector of Fisheries, inquired if Mr. Kinahan could account for 

 the diminution of the gravelling which formerly swarmed in the Dodder. He also re- 

 marked on the length of the gudgeon, 10 inches, as observed by Mr. Kinahan, as being 

 so unusual, and supposed there was some local reason therefor, as in his experience of 

 the rivers of Ireland, he had never seen any approaching that length. 



Dr. Allman remarked on the interesting character of Mr. Kinahans paper, and 



