—47— 



suppose that the fern may occur in other parts of America. In 

 the Old World it is fairly common from France and Spain to 

 Greece and the Himalaya mountains. Our illustration was made 

 from a frond collected in France. The plant's general appearance 

 is so much like Cystopteris fragilis, or some of the smaller As- 

 pleniums and Woodsias that it might be easily overlooked, even 

 by the fern hunter. There is also considerable difference in the 

 fronds, so much so. that a tall form with slightly differing pinna? 

 has been described as a separate species, under the name of A. 

 Halleri. It is now regarded, however, as a mere form of fonta- 

 num. A pinna of Halleri is also figured. 



For the convenience of those who may wish to make a search 

 for the plant along our limestone ledges, I include a description 

 of it. taken from Dr. Underwood's "Our Native Ferns." "Stipes, 

 one to three inches long, scaly at base ; fronds three to six inches 

 long, one half inch to one inch wide, tapering both ways from 

 above the middle; pinna? ten to fifteen pairs, their segments 

 deeply dentate with spinulose teeth; sori, one or two on each 

 segment." As will be seen from the illustration, to characterize 

 the teeth of the segments as spinulose is perhaps too strong an 

 expression, but as the fronds vary so much it is not improbable 

 that specimens possessing this feature often occur. — Willard N. 

 Clute. 



OUR MISCELLANY. 



In the original description of Asplenium Bradley i, Eaton 

 says : "In some of its more compound forms it is related to A. 

 montanum. from which it differs in its larger size, more membra- 

 naceous texture, narrower outline of the fronds and shorter 

 stalked pinme. Some of the denser specimens also resemble 

 somewhat A. lanceolatum of Europe." 



Those who are investigating the subject of forking fronds 

 will be interested in the following note from Gerard's " Her- 

 ball," published in 1597. It refers to Ophioglossum vulgatum, 

 commonly called Adder's tongue: "I have seene an other like 

 the former in root, stalke and leafe ; and differeth in that that 

 this plant hath two and sometimes more crooked toongs yet of 

 the same fashion, which, if my judgment faile not, changeth par 

 accidens even as we see children borne with two thombes, upon 

 one hand. * * * * In gathering of twentie bushels of the leaves 

 a man shall hardly find one of that fashion." 



