March U. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
421 
1> 
W 
MARCH 11 — 17 , 1866, 
1 Weather near London in 1855. 
I Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in 
Inches. 
1 
Sun ' 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S, 
Moi 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun, 
Day < 
Year 
n 
To 
Cercyon unipuncUtum. 
29 . 673 — 29.374 
37—29 
W. 33 
25 a 6 
56 a 5 
morn. 
5 
! 10 
8 
71 
12 
\V 
Cercyoii nielaiiocepkalum. 
29.018-28 886 
1 46-31 
S.W. . 24 
22 
58 
0 
51 
6 
9 
51 
72 
13 
Th 
Cercyon simile. 
29 . 522 — 29.206 
1 49—29 
s.w. 1 — 
20 
59 
2 
9 
3 
9 
35 
73 
14 
F 
Cercyon laterale. 
29 . 634 — 29.591 
45—31 
S. 01 
18 
VI 
3 
18 
8 
9 
18 
74 
15 
S 
Cercyon terminalum. 
29 . 793 — 29.522 
46—39 
S.K. 21 
15 
3 
4 
10 
9 
9 
1 
75 
Id 
Son 
Palm Sunday. 
, 29 . 707 -29.518 
1 53—32 
W, — 
13 
4 
4 
49 
10 
8 
43 
76 
17 
M 
Cercyon sordidum. 
1 29 . 611—29498 
1 50—33 
1 S.W. 09 
11 
6 
5 
15 
11 
8 
26 
77 
Meteorology op the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-nine years, the average highest and lowesttem- 
peratures of these days are 50.9°, and 33 8 °, respectively. The greatest heat, 67 °, occurred on the 12th, in 18sl ; and the lowest cold, 13°, 
on the 13th, in '.645. During the period II 6 days were fine, and on 80 rain fell. 
CYSTOTTEUIS ALPi'NA. 
This very pretty Fern has been variously named. 
Linnceus and others called it Pohjpodium regiiim; some 
entitled it Astpidium regiim; and by a third group of 
Botanists it is described under the title of Cgathea regia. 
In English it is called Alpine Bladder-Fern, Laciniated 
Bladder-Fern, and Three-cleft Polypody. The name of 
Bladder-Fern was bestowed upon the genus because the 
indusium or cover of each mass of spoi'es is iuHated like 
a bladder. 
'J’lie main body of the root is short, tufted, and scaly, 
producing numerous scattered durk-coloured Gbrous 
rootlets. The fronds issuing from the tufted top of the 
root are numerous, varying in height from three to even 
twelve inches; they are bright green, their general out¬ 
line spear-hcad-shaped, the Icallets so deejily lobed as to 
almost form leatits; and these lobes arc mostly three on 
each side-stalk of the leaflet. Each lobe is egg-shaped, 
blunt, and very linely cut, or laciniated at the edges. 
The segments into which the lobes are cut are long-oval- 
shaped and partly notched, but not long and narrow, 
nor wavy-edged like those of Cystopteris angustata, nor 
are their ribs zig-zagged as in that species. The leaflets 
are almost opposite to each other, yet are just sufficiently 
otherwise to justify their being described as alternate. 
Tlie unleafed part of the stem (stipe) of each frond is 
about one-third of its whole length ; and is smooth 
except at the base, where a few brown pointed scales 
occur. 
The fructification is near the edge of the lobe, and 
consists of very copious masses of little bladders, small, 
scattered, not crowded at any time, and pale brownish 
coloured. AYhilst in a young state each mass is wrapped 
in a white, membranous, concave cover, ending in a 
tapei ing jagged point; thus nearly resembling Cystopteris 
fragilis, but the fructification is in smaller masses than 
those of that species, nor are the spores ever black as in 
that species, but are pale brown. 
This is a Fern very rarely found in Groat Britain ; so 
rarely, indeed, that many Botanists have doubted, we 
think on insufficient grounds, its title to a place among 
our native plants. 
Mr. Lhwyd first discovered it on Snowdon, as an¬ 
nounced in the second edition of Hay’s Syno 2 )sis, in 
1(590; Mr. Griffiths found it on Cwm Idwell in Wales; 
Mr. W. Christy found it on rocks at the dropping well 
of Kuaresborough ; Hooker states, on the authority of 
Mr. Miiughan, that it was found on Ben Lawers in 
Scotland; Mr. Shepherd, of Liverpool, sent specimens 
to Mr. Moore, which specimens, he stated, were “gathered 
in Derbyshire and Yorkshire, but without assigning 
more particular habitats.” Mr. Foster found it at Low 
Layton in Essex, and announced his discovery in 
Symon’s Synopsis, some lime in the year 1793. It has 
been found at the same ))lace by Mr. W. Pamplin in 
1835, and by Mr. E. 11. Bolton in 1840. 
Sir J. E. Smith thus sj'eaks of its discovery and 
history: — 
“ The lowland station of this Fern, do.^c to a niuch-fre- 
quented road at Low Layton, where 1 have, in company with 
the late Mr. Forster, seen it covering great part of a brick 
wall, may be supposed analogous to its places of growth in 
France; hut we seek in vain for any information on this 
No. cce Lxxxix Yus., 
