So 
THE BOOK OF 
of bifido-cristatum. The illustration on page 19 shows fronds 
of both parents and of the result of their union. 
Mr. Schneider, in his marvellous hybrid (the most striking 
yet produced, to my mind) between this same elegantissimum 
and the huge exotic Phlebodium aureum, finds the hybridism 
confirmed by precisely the same character of partial reversion. 
In another cross between Athyrium filix fcemina Victorias, the 
most remarkable Fern yet found, bearing percruciate and 
tasselled fronds, and A. f. f. setigerum with translucent, bristly 
excrescences all over it, the result is A. f. f. Victorias, true to 
type, but bristling throughout with the setigerum character. 
Crosses and hybrids of this class bear their certificates of 
oiigin upon their fronts: in each case the parents are pure-bred 
original finds, and in their offspring the strong parental marks 
are distinctly brought out. At Kew there are a great number 
of marked instances among the Polystichums raised by Colonel 
Jones and others by crossing his polydactylous find of 
P. ai gulare with many < ther varieties. In this Fern there 
must have been some special prepotency, for the crosses were 
innumerable, but in every one that I have seen as yet they 
are ear-marked by the parental defect of producing here and 
there non-polydactylous divisions and irregular furcation to boot. 
One and all present this feature, which establishes the dual 
origin convincingly, but spoils the plants. The plate on 
page 21 shows fronds of one of these crosses as typical of 
all, the x marks indicat’ng the defects. 
Among hybrids between species, I must not omit to mention 
Mr. Lowe’s indubitable cross between Scolopendrium vulgare and 
Ceterach ofificinarum. As will be seen from the fronds of it 
exhibited, they are of Ceterach pinnation, though confluent at the 
tip and quite scaleless, while the fructification can be detected on 
the basal pinnae as in factd pairs, i.e . , Scolopendrium fashion, and 
further up, as single lines, i.e., in the character of the Spleen- 
worts. 1 do not know whether this plant is still alive, but 
the fronds shown establish its hybrid character and determine 
both parents with certainty. 1 invite partcular attention to this 
exhibit, as 1 fear it constitutes all the evidence existing, and 1 
should like it to be confirmed by others. In “ European 
Ferns,” page 137, a presumed natural hybrid between the same 
two species is figured, but considering the great varietal capacity 
of Scol. vulgare, and the existence of numerous pinnatifid forms, 
the hybridism in that case is, to my mind, extremely doubtful. 
Having thus cited a few of the conclusive evidences of the 
possibility of crossing, not merely varieties but also widely 
different species, and given a few hints as to the modus operandi, 
the next thii g is to give seme idea of the directions in which 
