of Guernsey. 



59 



England, visitors are very anxious to see it, but when shown a 

 specimen, its minuteness generally causes a feeling of dis- 

 appointment, and its being so short-lived takes from the 

 interest that might be felt in cultivating it. 



Our other speciality, the Gymnogramma Leptophylla 

 suffers from the same disadvantage, and is more difficult to 

 preserve in cultivation from its being an annual, but its rare 

 prettiness is a strong redeeming feature, which will always 

 make it a favourite. 



I have now gone through the list of Guernsey ferns ; but 

 I find that Hooker in the " Flora of the British Islands," 

 states that Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense is found in the 

 Channel Islands. It is not given in Ansted, and I have 

 never heard that any one has found it here. I have seen it 

 growing in masses at Killarney, and show a specimen from 

 that place, and should be glad if members of this society 

 would search in likely spots, and add this pretty delicate little 

 fern to our list. Wishing to increase the number of our wild 

 plants, I have planted out two roots, and feel no objection to 

 attempting the introduction of new species. I have also tried 

 Cystopteris Fragilis. In the greenhouse it grows like a weed, 

 appearing in such profusion as to threaten to choke better 

 ferns ; but in the open air I have not met with much encou- 

 ragement ; never having seen a plant the third season. 



I shall be very pleased if my paper of this evening and 

 the specimens I exhibit increase a love of ferns among mem- 

 bers of this society, and I feel confident that every one present 

 would be pleased to assist in stopping the wholesale and 

 wanton destruction of our ferns. 



No one can object to a farmer shaving his hedge-rows to 

 bring increased land under cultivation, or to his digging the 

 top of the bank to grow furze, nor to owners pointing afresh 

 decaying walls, though one cannot but feel sorry to see ferns 

 and wild plants thus destroyed* We ourselves are trying to 



