BRISTLE FERN. 
307 
‘ Filices,’ where I find the following statement appended to his 
Trichomanes pyxidiferum. — “ First discovered by Dr. Rich- 
ardson in a little dark cavern under a dripping rock, a little 
below the spring of Elm Cragg Well, in Bell Bank, scarce half 
a mile from Bingiey. In this place I saw it in plenty in the 
year 1758 : afterwards, some alterations being made about the 
well for the convenience of the proprietor, the cavern was 
destroyed, the plant perished, and was lost to Great Britain till 
the year 1782, at which time being engaged in this work, and 
passionately desirous to see the plant again in its growing state, 
after several researches in Bell Bank, I found a root under a 
dripping rock, to the left side of the current, and about fifteen 
yards above the cistern. From this root 1 have sent specimens 
to one or two of my friends, and have in my possession the best 
of them, from which this figure and description were taken. 
We have here evidence of an observant botanist rediscovering 
and republishing the locality, and expressing no doubt whatever 
that his plant was identical with Dr. Richardson’s : his figure 
and description, moreover, are cited by Smith as applicable to 
the present species ; and yet it seems to me not improbable 
that our Hymenophyllum tunhridgense was the plant which 
Bolton intended to figure and describe. In the year last men- 
tioned by Bolton (1782), a similar plant seems to have been 
observed by Mr. Teesdale, as recorded in the following passage 
from the ‘ Linnean Transactions.’ — Trichomanes pyxidiferum, 
Huds. In September, 1782, I found this rare plant in Belbank 
wood, near Bingiey, the place mentioned in R. Syn. Whether 
it be only a variety of the following \H. tunhridgense^ I leave 
to the decision of those who may have frequent opportunity of 
examining it in the place of its growth.”f From this the reader 
may, however, infer that Mr. Teesdale hesitated to consider the 
fern distinct from H, tunhridgense. Sir J. E. Smith, under his 
Trichomanes hrevisetum, after quoting Ray’s habitat, observes, 
“ Found there by Mr. Dickson and Mr. R. Teesdale long after- 
wards, in a young state, only like fig. 4 ” of Ray’s Synopsis, 
plate 3. I know not how Sir James obtained the information 
* Bolt. Fil. 56. 
f Trans, Linn. Soc. v. 75. 
