ON VARIATION GENERALLY. 
21 
absolutely common Hard Ferns; two only closely resembled 
tbe parent; one far surpassed it; several are of a diiferent 
type of cresting ; one is extremely dwarf, with fronds abso- 
lutely fan- shaped — and between these and the common ones 
there is every grade of cresting, from merely squarish tips 
to ball-like tufts. It is manifest that, in the production of 
new and distinct varieties, such inconstancy as this plays an 
important part, though it proves a sufficiently awkward factor 
where the propagation of the parent form is aimed at in any 
quantity, the only certain way being division of the plant 
itself. 
It may be taken as a rule that when once the common 
form has varied, the tendency to vary again is increased; 
hence, it has been possible — as in the case just cited — starting 
from a wild find of distinct character, to obtain, in a few 
generations, by careful selection, plants of continually in- 
creasing beauty. 
By reference to Plate I., a very striking instance of this 
will be seen. Fig. 1 represents the pinna of the common 
Lady Fern; Fig. 2, pinna of a plumose form of same, found 
at Axminster, and undoubtedly the offspring of the common 
form. A spore from this find gave the much more delicate 
and finely-cut form seen in Fig. 3 {A. F.-f. plumosum elegans, 
Parsons) ; and, finally, a spore of this made the immense stride 
manifest in Fig. 4 {A. F.-f. plumosum cristatum superhum), in 
which not only are all the ultimate divisions much lengthened 
and curved, but a crest has developed at the tips of frond 
and pinnae. This, in its way, is decidedly the most beautiful 
plumose form yet raised. The spores of Fig. 3 — its parent 
— are singular examples of irregularity in the transmission of 
the parental character. In two well-authenticated cases all 
the offspring, with only two or three exceptions, were heavily 
crested, though the parent has not a trace of this character; 
the exceptions were true to the parental form. The rest, 
with the exception of Fig. 4, though symmetrical at first, 
became irregular and ragged in outline as they grew large 
and hence were worthless. What Fig. 4 will produce is a 
question for the future. 
