TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— October 28, 1850. 53 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
o5 
s 
a o 
QS 
| Day of 
I Week. 
OCT. 28—NOV. 3, 1850. 
Weather ne 
Barometer. 
AR LONI 
Thermo. 
)ON IN 
Wind. 
1855. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. Sc S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
28 
Tu . 
St. Simon and St. Jude. 
29 . 714 — 29.685 
53-40 
N. 
.03 
49 a 6 
39 a 4 
sets. 
© 
16 
8 
302 
29 
W 
The marbled chestnut Moth. 
29 . 523 — 29.210 
52—46 
N.F.. 
.63 
51 
4 a 30 
1 
16 
11 
303 
30 
Th 
The autumnal dagger Moth. 
29 . 217 —29.083 
53—46 
N.E. 
•98 
53 
35 
4 47 
2 
16 
14 
304 
31 
F 
1 he streak Moth. 
29.528—29.300 
47—34 
N. 
t * 2 % 
54 
33 
5 13 
3 
16 
16 
305 
S 
All Saints. 
29-704—29.667 
44—27 
N. 
.00 
56 
32 
5 48 
4 
16 
18 
30G 
Sun 
24 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.727—29.579 
47—3 4 
N.W. 
.19 
58 
30 
6 38 
5 
16 
18 
307 
M 
The red-green carpet Moth. 
29 . 877 — 29 .OI 6 
46—33 
N.E. 
.03 
VII 
28 
7 44 
6 
J 0 
18 
308 
Meteorology of tiie Week. —At Chiswick, from observations daring the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatirres of these days are 54.2°, and 37.9°, respectively. The greatest heat, 6;°, occurred on the 31st, in 1854 ; and the lowest cold, 20°, on 
tne 3rd, in 1845. During the period 97 days were fine, and on 99 rain fell. 
LASTRiE'A THELY'PTERIS. 
This lias been called by different botanists Aerostichum, 
Aspidium, AtJiyrium, Hcmestheum, Polypodium, and 
Polystichum ; but they all agree in giving it the specific 
name of Thelypteris, which is literally the Woman or 
Lady Fern. In English it is known as the Marsh 
Shield Fern, Marsh Polypody, and Marsh Fern. 
Boot widely creeping, by means of slender, blackish, 
thread-shaped, smooth, or slightly downy runners. 
From various points in these arise irregularly the fronds. 
These are erect, delicate, deep green, usually smooth, 
but occasionally slightly hairy. The barren fronds are 
about one foot high, but the fertile fronds vary from two 
to four feet in height. Their stem is slender, and 
mostly naked, but sometimes slightly scaly, and the 
lower half without leaflets. These, especially when 
barren, grow markedly horizontally, are narrow spear¬ 
head shaped, deeply and regularly pinnatifid, partially 
opposite, but mostly alternate; the barren segments 
blunt, and slightly scolloped; the fertile segments 
narrower, more pointed, with the edges rolled back. 
The mid-vein zigzagged, and sometimes very hairy. 
The lateral veins divide into two branches about half¬ 
way between the mid-vein and margin of the segment, 
and on the fertile fronds each branch of the lateral 
veins bears a small round mass of the fructification. 
Each mass is dark brown, at first covered by a thin, 
white, torn, kidney-shaped cover (indusium), fixed by the 
centre, but which soon is elevated and shed. The 
masses eventually run together into lines, and some¬ 
times nearly cover the segment. 
It is found in boggy meadows and marshes, especially 
where the soil is gravelly, but is rare, and though found 
in different parts of the British Islands, is very local. 
It is more common in Scotland than in England or 
Ireland. In England, on Learmouth Bogs, in Northum¬ 
berland ; near Settle, in Yorkshire ; at Allesley, in War¬ 
wickshire; on Ivnutsford Moor aud New Church Bog, 
near Over, in Cheshire; on Oxton Bogs, in Nottingham¬ 
shire ; in Windsor Park and Sunning Hill Wells, in 
Berkshire; in the valley below Cmsar’s Camp, on Wim¬ 
bledon Common; and on Leath Hill, in Surrey; in 
a bog on Waterdown Forest, near Tunbridge Wells; at 
Belton, and near Bungay, in Suffolk; at St. Faith’s, 
Newton Bogs, near Norwich; and in Somersetshire and 
Sussex. In Wales, in a moist dell at the foot of Snowdon, 
near Llanberris; on the border of the lake near Red 
Wharf; and at Beaumaris, in Anglesea. In Ireland, 
on the marshes at Glencreo, in Wicklow, and at Ne- 
veruss, Killarney. 
This Fern was first noticed as an English plant by 
Ray. He mentions it in his Synopsis Methodica Stir - 
pium Britannicarum, as the Filix minorpalustris repens, 
Creeping Water Fern, or Lesser Marsh Fern. 
Mr. Reeve informs us that the Lastrcea thelypteris will 
be found to thrive pretty well under pot-culture, and 
with ordinary care will become a very elegant object. 
Being one of those Ferns which choose a marshy place 
for their natural habitation, it will be found very useful 
for planting upon the base of the rockery, where, when 
once established, it will soon spread and show its 
beauty, for, when seen in a mass, it is a very handsome 
No. CCOCXXII. Vol. XVII, 
