native habitat. Usually it is found only upon dry and rocky ele- 

 vations, where there is little soil — which may perhaps account for 

 its small size. In a rich, sunny garden one would scarcely recog- 

 nize it. Both leaves and blossoms are much larger, and the plant 

 frequently grows twice or three times its ordinary height. In 

 certain places this species may be used with good effect as an edg- 

 ing. Probably no plants can be employed along the north side of 

 a building that will give so much satisfaction and make such an 

 attractive border as our native ferns. These are especially good 

 against a brick foundation, uniting the structure with the lawn. 

 The ostrich, cinnamon, sensitive. Christmas, regal and maiden 

 hair ferns are especially good for this purpose, though some of 

 the others are nearly as desirable. Transplanting may be prac- 

 ticed at any time during the season, though probably it can be 

 best done in late autumn or early spring. — From an article by JJ~. 

 E. Britton, in American Gardening. 



NECTARIES OF THE BRACKEX. 

 The presence of nectar-producing organs among many flower- 

 ing plants is a matter of common knowledge, but the occurrence 

 of such nectaries among ferns seems scarcely known. They are 

 known, however, in three genera of tropical ferns and in addition 

 our common bracken [Pteris aquilina) possesses them in abun- 

 dance. Prof. F. E. Lloyd, who has been studying their struc- 

 ture, says of them in a recent number of Science: "The nectaries 

 in Pteris aquilina occur on the fronds at the bases of the 

 pinna? and pinnulae on the morphological lower side of the leaf. 

 The largest and most conspicuous are the lowermost, that is, 

 those at the bases of the first pair of pinnse. On one developing 

 frond, therefore, one may observe a complete developmental series. 

 W hen examined macroscopically the glands appear as approxi- 

 mately oval areas just below and extending somewhat into the 

 angles formed by the mid-veins of the first and second, and sec- 

 ond and third, orders. The external surfaces of the glands are 

 smooth, because of the absence of the chaffy scales found else- 



