50 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



tions between tweedledum and tweedledee. A set of 

 specimens could be selected that would make an un- 

 broken series beginning with entire fronds and end- 

 ing with pinnate forms with pinnatifid pinnae. In 

 drawing up a description of the species, the scientists 

 have fortunately described the larger forms. Had 

 they by chance first discovered only the small forms 

 and described them, it is likely that the larger ones 

 would have been considered distinct. 



Like a large number of our spleenworts, the present 

 species has black stipes with a tendency to become 

 green as they approach the blade of the frond. The 

 largest specimens are usually less than five inches high 

 and being so inconspicuous, have failed to attract much 

 notice. The species, however, is pretty widely dis- 

 tributed, being found in the West Indies, Mexico, Co- 

 lumbia, East Africa and India. The specimens illus- 

 trated were collected near Gordon Town, Jamaica, by 

 the writer in 1900. 



THE FAMILIES OF FERN - LIKE PLANTS. 



There was recently published in this magazine (Vol. 

 10, p. 70) an outline of the families of fernworts sug- 

 gested by Prof. Chas E. Bessey. The arrangement 

 there presented is undoubtedly a step in the right di- 

 rection, but we are as yet so much in the dark as to 

 what are, and what are not, essential differences in the 

 plant world that there is still room for speculation 

 upon the subject. In the Ohio Naturalist for Febru- 

 ary, 1000 Dr. John H. Schaffner has tried his hand at 

 a re-arrangement of the great plant groups. In this 

 the author divides the plants into seven groups which 

 he calls Protophyta, Nematophyta, Bryophyta, Pteri- 

 dophyta Homosporae, Pteridophyta Heterosporae 



