— *5— 



grow on the trees thus far examined. In their native 

 haunts they do not grow on every tree nor in large areas. 

 In fact, one Jamaica species. Trichomanes trichoideum, 

 seems to be found only on the trunks of a certain kind of 

 tree fern — Cyathea pubescens — in that island. And if 

 Pteris longifolia can thrive in Louisiana, why should it 

 not also grow in Alabama and Mississippi? Why, too, 

 should not the species that have the same general habitat 

 be found with it? If Nephrodium patens is common, why 

 not expect N. molle, which is so much like it? It is not 

 entirely a matter of climate, as some may be inclined to 

 think. Climate may be granted as a most important fac- 

 tor, but it may sometimes be over-estimated. The Flor- 

 ida crest fern, which grows naturally nowhere except 

 near the Gulf, has proven hardy in northern Illinois, and 

 Nephrodium patens in New York and Vermont. 



Doubtless many tropical ferns, especially those with a 

 thick epidermis like the polypody, the grass fern and 

 Taenitis, are hardy enough , to withstand the southern 

 winters. These grow in Florida, and may yet be reported 

 from the lower delta. So, too, we seem warranted in ex- 

 pecting Acrostichum aureuni from the coastal swamps. 

 In fact, we seem warranted in expecting a large number 

 of other tropical species. When they will be found, or 

 whether they will be found at all in this region, remains 

 a problem for fern students to solve. 



DRYOPTERIS FILIX-MAS IN VERMONT. 



By Tracy E. Hazen. 



The industrious searching of the large body of fern- 

 lovers within recent years has brought to light a number 

 of forms and sub-species new to systematic botany. To 

 discover, however, a well-known species not before re- 

 ported in New England, is a matter of great interest. 

 Mr. Eggleston, in his article on the ferns of Vermont in 

 the Fern Bulletin, made the suggestion that Dryopteris 

 Filix-mas, among other ferns, might be looked for in the 



