40 



The Irish Natii^alisi, 



February, 



Mrs. Leebody, viz. — hill behind Doonee Rock. The enclosed frond of 

 Welsh Polypody was taken from a plant found on the shore of Lough 

 Gill near Doonee Rock. I have also found it and the Irish Polypody on 

 Goat Island, Lough Gill. 



CuTHBERT Harrison. 



Ballincar, Sligo 



Mr. Harrison encloses specimens of H. tmilaterale and H. tunbridgense, 

 and also a frond of true Polypodium viilgare, var. cambricum, L- This beautiful 

 form of the Common Polypody has a historic interest, as having been 

 described as a good species, Polypodium cambriaim, by Linnseus. It is, more- 

 over, extremely rare in Ireland. The only reliable record that I know is 

 Co. Wicklow ; a root originally from there was sent to Edward Newman 

 by David Moore (Newman : History of British Ferns, 1844, p. 46). New- 

 man was acquainted with the plant, having examined the Linnean type, 

 which he figures (p. 45), alongside the more common var. semilacerum 

 (= hibernicum) with which var. cainbricum has often been confused. New- 

 man's figure of var. semilacerum (as found in the Dargle by J. T. Mackay), 

 which he places beside that oi cambricum, shows well the characters of the 

 two. Cambricum is the true plumose form of the species, and is barren . 

 semilacertim is a robust fertile decomposite form. 



R. IvI^OYD PraEGER. 



Dublin. 



Abnormal Growth of Polypody. 



Two botanical text books, viz., Hooker's Studenfs F/ora, and Bentham's 

 Handbook of the British Flora, give the measurements of Polypody (^Poly- 

 podium vulgare~) as about six inches to a foot in length. A short time since 



1 found a couple of fronds measuring respectively 2 feet 3I inches, and 



2 feet I inches in length, growing on the top of a wall near Portlaw. 



WlIvI^IAM W, FTvEMYNG. 



Portlaw. 



The Vitality of Seeds. 



I read with intense interest and pleasure the excellent and informing 

 contribution of Mr. J. Adams, M.A., on this subject in the November 

 issue of the Irish Naturalist, and commented upon it at some length in the 

 Irish Educational [ournal, of which I am Natural History Editor. My 

 object in now writing, however, is for the purpose of stating that I do 

 not agree with the statements of Mr. S, A. Stewart in the December 

 issue as to seeds which have remained for a long time buried deep in the 

 soil not retaining their vitality, nor germinating when brought up to, or 

 near, the surface. I entirely agree with Mr. Adams that this is not only 

 possible but extremely probable, and am able to back my opinion by 

 some rather interesting observations. Many of the botanical readers of 

 the Irish Naturalist will know by repute—if not by experience— of the 



