6 Phillips and Praeger—The Ferns of Ulster. 
This grouping is, of course, only approximate, and if taken as referring to 
any particular county or district might give very erroneous results ; bub 
•when taken as referring to Ulster as a whole, it will, we think, convey a 
pretty correct general idea of the distribution of our local Ferns. 
In two instances— namely, when referring to Lastrea Filix-mas and to the 
divisilobe class of varieties of Polystichum angulare—we have departed from 
our course as compilers of a list in order to describe some new classification 
which has recently been adopted by the leading authorities on British Ferns. 
This is not to be found in any of our Fern manuals, and, we believe, will 
prove interesting to the botanists of the Club. We have been compelled, 
much against our will, to adopt an alphabetical arrangement of the varieties, 
since no scientific classification of them has been made, and we did not feel 
qualified to attempt this task ourselves. The British Pterodological Society 
performed a great service in classifying the varieties of Polystichum angulare> 
though unfortunately their results have not been published ; but the Atliy- 
riums , Lastreas , and Scolopendriums still remain unarrangod, waiting for some 
champion to arise to give each one its proper place in the world of Ferns. 
In the difficult task of naming the varieties, we have obtained much 
valuable assistance from kind friends on the other side of the channel; among 
these we would specially mention Colonel Jones, of Bristol, and George B. 
Wollaston, Esq., of Chislehurst, to both of whom we are deeply indebted, both 
for naming fronds submitted to them, and for sending us plants and fronds of 
English forms of our varieties. From the beautiful nature-printed plates of 
varieties of British Ferns, brought out by Colonel Jones, under the auspices 
of the British Pterodological Society, we have abstracted our notes on Lastrea 
Filix-mas and Polystichum angular e proliferum, and have derived much other 
assistance. To Mr. S. A. Stewart, F.B.S.E., we also owe many thanks for 
information supplied as to localities for species. 
As to the distribution of varieties very little can be said. The varieties 
of Ferns are peculiar, in as much as they generally occur as isolated plants. 
Occasionally a little colony of some variety is discovered ; but usually a 
single plant is all that is obtained in any one place. A few of the exceptions 
to this rule we may mention : — _ 
P. angulare capitatum has been known to grow in Ballygomartin Glen, 
near Belfast, for some twenty years ; and in spite of frequent depredations, 
may still be found there. The Irish Polypody is a striking exception, 
as it generally occurs in considerable quantity where it occurs at all. The 
ditches about Ballymenoch, Holy wood, have long yielded examples of P. angu- 
lare interruptum. On sea-cliffs near Torr Head, in Go. Antrim, this summer, 
we discovered a large colony of very curious interrupted forms of Athynum 
Filix-fcemina ; and many other instances might be quoted. But the most 
noteworthy example occurs on the Mourne Mountains, where two very inter- 
esting varieties of Blechnum , trinervium and anomalum, occur in hundreds on 
