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extremes to which the tendency to become finely divided 

 may be pushed by taking advantage of the most aberrant 

 forms produced. In nature these forms are likely to die 

 out in competition with the type, but by selection they 

 may be continued or even improved. In the bipinnatifid 

 form of the Christmas fern, shown herewith, we have 

 a type that has appeared again and again, but apparently 

 has never been named. As it is well to have terms to 

 designate these variations I here suggest that it be called 

 Polystichum acrostichoides f. multifield. As early as 1867 

 it was reported from New Jersey and a pinnule of this 

 find is illustrated in Eaton's " Ferns of North America." 

 I have also seen specimens from Long Island and still 

 more recently from Connecticut. It is likely to occur 

 wherever the type is found, however. Our illustration 

 was made from specimens from Bristol, Conn., discov- 

 ered by Mr. W. A. Terry, who now has the plant under 

 cultivation and to whose kindness in sending specimens 

 I am greatly indebted. 



The plant possessed by Mr. Terry is much more regu- 

 larly cut than is usual in the finds of this form and no 

 doubt would find a ready sale if carefully propagated 

 since it is as hardy as the ordinary Christmas fern and 

 far handsomer, standing in this respect in much the same 

 relation to the type as the variations of the so-called 

 Boston fern do to that well-known plant. The illustration 

 is from the middle pinnae of a frond in my herbarium. — 

 Willard N. Clute. 



