DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
187 
such, as bears me out in stating that the great Lusitanian life-tide once 
extended much further north than it at present does. 
It would he easy, by means of these same laws, to demonstrate the 
causes of the local occurrence of many of the ferns in Ireland, but 
this paper has already extended to such a length that I must content 
myself with the following arrangement of centres to which the species 
appear to have belonged. 
Lusitanian: Asplenium acutum , Asplenium lanceolatum, Adiantum 
capillus- Veneris, Lophodium Fcenesecii, Lophodium (?) spinosum, Ilyme- 
nophyllum Tunbridgense, Grammitis ceterach. Sub-Lusitanian: Asplenium 
trichomanes, Asplenium adiantum nigrum, Amesium ruta mura/ria. 
Germanic: Ophioglossum vulgatum, Botrychium lunaria, Blechnum 
spieant, Pteris aquilina, Polypodium vulgare, Polystichum angulare, Lo¬ 
phodium (?) multifiorum, APhyrium filix foemina, Asplenium marinum , 
Scolopendrium vulgare. 
Northern: Gymnocarpium Phegopteris, Cystopteris fragilis, Polysti¬ 
chum Lonchitis, Cryptogramma crisp a, Polystichum (?) aculeatum, Lastrea 
Montana, Hemestheum (?) thelypteris, Gymnocarpium Bryopteris , Asple¬ 
nium viride, Bryopteris affinis, Bryopteris Borreri. 
The above distribution will, perhaps, sin-prise many, especially the 
reference to the Germanic type (i. e. Germano-Indian continental type) 
of all our most generally diffused types; but finding these ferns equally 
distributed in Great Britain and Ireland, I am inclined to think they 
must have spread over the two countries at the time when the Germanic 
Banna were introduced through England into this country: by sub-Lusi- 
tanian I mean types which, undoubtedly coming from the same centre, 
were introduced into this country before the restricted Lusitanian species 
made their appearance. 
Professor Kinahan exhibited some very fine varieties of Polypodium 
vulgame, Asplenium trichomanes , and Bryopteris affinis, sent to him by 
H. A. Mandeville, Esq.,' of Anner House, Clonmel, by whom they had 
been obtained near Carrick-on-Suir. The first-named exhibited a great 
number of secondary axes sprung from the main axis, and was a fine 
example of the irregularity of outline sometimes assumed by Acrogens. 
Hr. Kinahan had never seen such fine specimens. The other two, though 
extremely interesting, were more common, and had occurred frequently 
to Hr. Kinahan. 
Mr. J. Bain exhibited a fine example of a curious variety of Athy- 
rium filix fcemina, from the county of Wicklow. It was characterized 
by the stunted growth of the pinnae, and total abortion of the stalks of 
the pinnules, which gave it an appearance resembling somewhat that of 
A. trichomanes. 
Hr. W. Erazer exhibited a curious pendant cup-shaped nest of Vespa 
- ? attached to a twig. It was taken at the Hargle, county of Wick¬ 
low ; but unfortunately the maker was not captured, which rendered it 
impossible to identify the species. 
