THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 20, 1R5G. 127 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
I) 
M 
D 
W 
• 
MAY 20—2G, 1356. 
Weather near London in 
Barometer. Thermo. Wind. 
1855. „ I 
Sun Sun 
Rain in Rises. Sets. 
Inches. 
Moon 
lt.&S, 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock Pay of 
af. Sun. Year. 
20 
Tu 
Oiceoptoma thoracica. 
29.883—29.800 
68—35 
N.W. 
— | 3 a 4 50 a 7 
9a 10 
16 
3 
43 141 
21 
W 
Sun’s declinat. 20° 1/' N. 
29.862—29.830 
55 — 46 
W. 
— 1 1 51 
10 23 
17 
3 
39 1 ^ 
22 
Til 
Oiceoptoma sinuata. 
29.840—29./79 
64—31 
N. 
01 0 53 
11 25 
18 
3 
35 143 
1 A A 
23 
F 
Silpha opaca. 
29.819—29.780 
60—40 
S.W. 
— Ill 54 
morn. 
19 
3 
31 e 
24 
S 
Qceen Victoria born 1819. 
29.76I—29./6O 
71 — 44 
s. 
— 68 55 
0 11 
20 
3 
9c 145 
25 
Sun 
1 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.802- 29789 
78-42 
S.E. 
— ! 57 57 
0 43 
21 
3 
20 140 
26 
M 
[Princess Helena b. 1846. 
29.870—29759 
82—58 
E. 
— ! 56 58 
1 7 
22 
3 
14 ! 147 
Meteorology of the Wf.ek.— AtChiswick,from observations during the last twenty-nine years, the average highestand lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 66.3°, and 44.7°, respectively. The greatest heat, 89°, occurred on the 23rd, in 1647 j and the lowest cold, 29° 
on the 23th, in 1638. During the period 114 days were fine, and on 82 rain fell. 
CYSTO'PTERIS MONTA'NA. 
This lias long been known as a Fern of the highest 
alpine districts of Europe, North America, and 
Kamtschatka ; hut it was not until 1826 that it was 
ascertained to he a British species. In that year it 
was discovered by Mr. W. Wilson on Ben Lawers, 
one of the Bredalbane Mountains. 
It lias been called by botanists Poly-podium montanum 
'■ Montana and tngrrhidifolia and Cyathea Montana. In 
English it is known as the Mountain Bladder Fern, and 
Wilson’s Bladder Fern. 
The root is thread-like, scaly, black, and far-creeping. 
The fronds strikingly triangular in their outline. Their 
stalk long, stout, green, and smooth, except near the 
| bottom, where there are some scattered brown scales. 
The leaflets are alternate, and occupy only the upper 
third of the stalk. The lowest pair of leaflets are very 
much larger than the others, and doubly-leafited ; but 
the Unfits of the upper pairs of leaflets are only deeply 
lobed. The lateral veins of the leafits are alternate, 
and the fructification is at the ends of these lateral 
veins. The masses are circular, numerous, and become 
very prominent as they ripen. The membrane (indusiura) 
is nearly round, forming a hood over the spores, and 
having its edge jagged. 
Mr. Moore observes that— 
“ The head-quarters in Britain of this very rare and local 
Fern are the Highlands of Scotland, where it was found, 
first on Ben Lawers, one of the Bredalbane mountains, by 
Mr. Wilson, in company with Professors Hooker and Gra¬ 
ham, in 1830; and subsequently by Messrs. Gourlie, Adam¬ 
son, Borrer, and Little, and Dr. Walker Arnott in 1841, 
1850, and 1851, in a ravine called Corrach Dll’ Oufillacb, 
or Corrach Uachdar, between Glen Dochart and Glen 
Lochay, in the Mhiel Oufillach mountains in Perthshire. 
It is reported to have been found in North Wales by 
Plukenet, and we are informed that the existence of the 
species in Wales has been recently confirmed, though the 
information is incomplete; it is not, however, improbable, 
as the species is met with in the Alps of Europe, occurring 
most frequently in the north, and generally on rough stony 
ground. It is also a native of the Rocky Mountains of 
North America. 
“ This is strictly an Alpine plant, and requires treatment 
similar to that recommended for the other species, with per¬ 
fect rest in winter.” 
The May Meeting of The Entomological Society 
was held on the 5th instant, W. W. Saunders, Esq., 
F.R.S., &c., in the chair. The President informed 
the meeting that the Entomological Society of France 
had recently elected Mr. Curtis one of their Honorary 
Members, the number of which class is very limited ; 
Mr. Kirby having been the only other English entomo¬ 
logist on whom this honour had been conferred. We 
are happy to congratulate Mr. Curtis on this election, 
coming, as it does, too, at a time when his declining 
sight (induced by too arduous labour in the production 
of his great work) will render every recognition of his 
services to the cause of science more acceptable. 
Mr. Cambridge presented to the Society specimens of 
Heliothis clipsacca and Acidalia degeneraria, two very 
rare British Moths. 
Mr. Foxeroft sent for exhibition a beautiful specimen 
of the elegant Petisia nubeculosa, taken at Loch Itau- 
No. CCCXCIX, Vol. XVI. 
