EDITORIAL. 



We would remind our readers that short notes on 

 WANTED ferns are especially desired. It is a good time to 



send them in when you are renewing your sub- 

 scription, but you need not wait for that. What have you learned 

 of interest about ferns during your summer's work ? Only the 

 few can discover new species, but we all can discover new facts. 

 Indeed, it may be set down as a rule, that if we do not find out 

 something new, constantly, we are not progressing. 



There are two well marked forms of the Walking 

 WHO fern made by the shape of the leaf. In one the 



KNOWS ? basal ears are rounded ; in the other they are pro- 



longed somewhat like the tip. Are both forms 

 present in your locality ? Which is the more common ? Do the 

 two ever grow from the same rootstock ? This species is known 

 to grow on gneiss, granite, quartzite, sandstone and shale, as well 

 as limestone. Does soil make a difference in the shape ? Has 

 this fern ever been reported as growing on other rocks than those 

 mentioned ? Who can answer ? 



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The recent publication of names for several varie- 

 AS TO ties which are admitted to be merely individual 



varieties departures from the normal, has shown that we 



stand in real need of some style in nomenclature 

 that will distinguish these from the true varieties, or more prop- 

 erly, sub species. We indicate a species by writing two names, 

 generic and specific as Poly podium vulgare; a sub-species by 

 three names, as Aspidium spinulosum intermedium, or Botryc Il- 

 ium obliquum dissectum ; but for the third class we still need a 

 proper designation. To write them as we would the names of 

 sub-species would be most confusing to the student who does 

 not know the true character of each. Osmunda cinnamomea 

 frondosa does not stand for the same type of plant (with definite 

 form, habit and range) that Aspidium cristatum Clintonianum 

 does. How. then, shall we distinguish between the two in writ- 

 ing ? It has been suggested that those which do not have a defi- 

 nite range and do not reproduce themselves naturally, be always 

 written with variety preceding the third name, as Onoclea sensi- 

 bilis var. obtusilobata. We would like the opinion of others on 

 the subject. 



