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move to it all the species of Phegopteris proper, except such as 

 had already been placed in Polystichum. This would make a 

 genus of the first rank, comprising about 390 species. 



Third, the genus Nephrodium should include the species 

 ranked in 44 Synopsis Filicum" under Eu- Nephrodium and 

 Goniopteris, forming a genus of the second rank, with about 

 125 species. 



Finally, I would retain Swartz's old genus Aspidium and 

 make it include all the species placed, in "Synopsis Filicum," 

 under the sub-genera Eu- Aspidium, Cyrtomium, Sagenia, Ple- 

 ccnemia and Dictyopteris. By obliterating the distinction be- 

 tween peltate and kidney-shaped indusia, the four most important 

 of these sub-genera are already united ; by ignoring the absence 

 Lbiu of indusia, D\yopteris would be united with the others, and a 

 very natural single group would be formed of the whole. This 

 would constitute another genus of the second rank, having about 

 113 species. The first rank includes only three genera, viz., 

 Asplenium, Dry op teris and Polypodium, each having 300 species 

 or more. 



This arrangement has, in my opinion, one great advantage 

 over and above its usefulness as a means of classification ; it re- 

 tains the old and familiar generic names of Aspidium and 

 Nephrodium, with much of their former significance. Probably 

 this suggestion will be regarded by many as purely sentimental, 

 and I am free to allow that it may be so. But if you desire to 

 bring about unity and harmony among the students of ferns, it 

 is wiser to cater to such a "sentiment" than to override it by 

 jaying down arbitrary rules which ignore it altogether. No one 

 can complain that Dryopteris has not been treated fairly, since 

 much the largest group of species is placed under this title, and 

 it thus receives the merit due to it by reason of its priority in 

 time. By the addition of Phegopteris to this group, it would be 

 considerably increased beyond the old limits of Lastrcea. But it 

 would be divisible into several sections, just as it is now, some 

 with simple veins, others with branched veins, some with reduced 

 lower pinnae, others truncate at the base, some deltoid, some 

 spinulose, and so on. A statement would have to be made with 

 each species, as indeed in many cases it has to be made even now, 

 as to whether an indusium was known or not ; but there seems to 

 me to be no doubt that a more natural and satisfactory arrange- 

 ment of species could be made under this plan than by any 



