—53— 



the deeper scientific study of these "sports" that the hard and fast 

 line supposed to exist between oospore and sporophore. i. e.. 

 prothallus and fern proper, has been broken down and every con- 

 ceivable variant of the life cycle shown to exist. I think I may 

 possibly claim to have largely contributed to these results by the 

 discovery of apospory and by calling the attention of scientific 

 botanists, most of whom took up, until then, the position main- 

 tained by the editor to other phenomena presented by these much 

 contemned "sports." I am now frequently called upon to provide 

 material for further research by some of our foremost botanists 

 who have now quite adopted the view that there is much to be 

 learned from nature's exceptions. 



So much for science. Now for the aesthetic side of the fern 

 question. A large number of these sports are admittedly fir 

 more beautiful than the normals. Why then should this aspect 

 of the case be ignored? Unfortunately I cannot send you a 

 photograph of my fernery, but one appears in the little book you 

 received. "The Book of British Ferns." and I would ask anyone 

 with a sense of beauty whether the world is not enriched by such 

 a collection, due entirely to assiduous fern variety hunters and 

 raisers and which could not have existed under the ignoring con- 

 ditions of the editor's criticism. 



Finally. I must take exception to the parallel of the freaks in 

 animals and sports in plants. Animals, owing to their far higher 

 development and more complete organization, cannot "sport" on 

 similar lines to plants, so as to permit such a parallel to be drawn. 

 Polydactylism. it is true, may occasionally appear in animals and 

 even be inherited, so I must concede the "seven-toed kitten" idea 

 for what it is worth. That of the two-headed rabbit, however, 

 comes under an entirely different category and is in more ways 

 than one a misconception. A plumose parallel perhaps exists in 

 the merino "sport" in sheep, but this branch of the argument is 

 scarcely worth pursuing, as 1 am quite contented to base my 

 "mania" on the preceding grounds alone and trust that some at 

 any rate of the Fern Chapter will range themselves under my 

 banner rather than that of the editor to whom, however. I throw 

 down my gage in all amity. — Chas. T. Drucry, F. L. S.. J'. M. H., 

 Acton, London, JJ'.. England. 



[The editor concedes all that Mr. Druery says in regard to 

 the value of these abnormal ferns for scientific study. Indeed, 



