3:2 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



vertently" omitted from the recent reprint of the con- 

 stitution directs the Advisory Council to nominate two 

 candidates for each office and repeals everything else 

 conflicting with this. The difficult task for those favor- 

 ing the results of the recent election is to show how a 

 repealed clause is not repealed. Perhaps they can do it, 

 but they haven't done so yet. 



The editor admits with becoming modesty that there 

 was a time when he "could not tell a fern from a car- 

 rot" but he hastens to add that in those innocent and 

 guileless days he refrained from directing those who 

 did know the difference all of which indicates how 

 greatly times have changed since then. — Ed.] 



Fragrant Bracken. — In Eaton's "Fern of North 

 America" a decidedly fragrant form of the common 

 bracken (Pteris aquilina) is reported from Illinois. 

 The form must be very rare and so far as we are aware 

 has not been reported in any other fern book though 

 the plant is distributed nearly throughout the world. 

 If any of our readers know of this species being fra- 

 grant we would like to hear from them. Like many 

 other ferns, the bracken when young is glandular 

 pubescent and in addition nectaries are produced at the 

 base of the pinnae though there is no known use for 

 them. A large black ant is very fond of this nectar 

 and specimens are seldom free from the insect in 

 spring. In flowers, odor is usually associated with 

 nectar and the fragrant bracken mentioned may have 

 been specimens whose nectar possessed this additional 

 characteristic. At any rate, the subject is worth further 

 investigation. 



