•214 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 30, 1856. 
other parts of northern counties.—( Francis Analysis of 
■ British Ferns.) 
This Fern was not known as a British plant when 
Ray published, in 1670, his Catalogue Plantarum 
Anglia; but it is included by Morrison and Bobart in 
their Historia Plantarum Oxoniensis, published in 1680, 
and Bobart states that it had been found in the northern 
parts of England by Mr. T. Lawson and Mr. D. Lhwyd 
(Lloyd). In those parts it had also been observed by 
Dr. James Sherard. Dillenius mentions it, in 1724, in 
the third edition of Ray’s Synopsis Metkodica Stirpium 
Britannicarum, as “Filix minor Britannica pediculo 
pallidiore, alis inferioribus deorsum spectantibus.” (The 
smaller British Fern, with paler stem, and lower wings 
looking downwards.) 
The Polypodium phegopteris is a free-growing and very 
pretty species. Under favourable circumstances it will 
not fail to repay the cultivator. It is remarkably well 
adapted for cultivating upon the shaded and most moist 
parts of a Fernery or rockery. Such a situation must 
be secured for it, it being particularly partial to an 
abundant and constant supply of water about its roots, 
and also as often as possible overhead, during the 
growing season. A situation on the Fernery, where it 
might be partially overshadowed by some projecting 
portion of the rockwork, would be suitable; but, although 
it delights in a situation like this, yet it must be well 
drained, so that the mould about its roots does not 
become soddened and water-logged, for stagnant water 
throws the plant into a sickly state, and finally deprives 
it of life. 
Having chosen or constructed a suitable place for it, 
proceed to drain as directed for the last species, using 
a moderately thick layer of sphagnum moss, or the 
roughest parts of the peat, to be pressed firmly together; 
upon that may be placed a few lumps of sandstone, if 
at hand, or porous stone of any kind. Room to be 
allowed for five or six inches of the following compost:— 
Fibry peat three parts, loam one part, and leaf-mould 
one part, with a free admixture of silver sand. The 
Fern to be planted firmly in it, so that the main root 
is barely below the surface, when a few pieces of finely- 
broken stone strewed about the surface will help to 
keep the soil open. This operation is best done early in 
the spring. When all is finished, a liberal watering 
may be given, and the whole left a few days to settle. 
Just enough water to keep the soil moist will be suffi¬ 
cient until the young fronds begin to unfold, when a 
more liberal supply must be given, and continued until 
the winter is approaching, when water must be with¬ 
held, and the soil only kept slightly moist through that 
season. 
For pot culture the same compost may be used, well 
draining the pots, or deep pans, which are, perhaps, 
better, and placing the plants in the same manner as on 
the rockwork. These must be kept in a close, shady 
place, and be freely supplied with water, or failure will 
most surely be the result. This Fern may bo very 
successfully grown in a greenhouse or cool stove, where 
| it may be kept green through the winter, but the pots 
should have a slight protection. It is very readily in¬ 
creased by division, which should be done in spring. 
The December Meeting of the Entomological Society 
was held on the 1st instant, Mr. Westwood, one of the 
Vice Presidents, being in the Chair. An extensive list 
of contributions to the Society’s library, received since 
the last Meeting, was read, including the Transactions 
of the Linnsean and Royal Societies of Lyons, the 
Natural History Societies of Boston and Philadelphia, 
the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, the Linnsean 
Society of London, the Philosophical Society of Liver¬ 
pool, the Society of Arts, Messrs. Stainton, Guerin, 
Meneville, Newman, Walker, Lovell, Reeve, &c. 
A beautiful series of Lepidopterous insects from 
Moreton Bay, Australia, collected by Mr. Diggle, was 
exhibited, containing a number of new species, as well 
as others bearing a very close resemblance to English 
insects, if not, indeed, absolutely identical therewith, 
namely, Agrotis suffusa, Lithosia pulchella, and Sphinx 
celerio. One species alluded to, Bombyx pudihunda, was 
remarkable for having a wingless female, as in the case 
of the common English Yapourer Moths. 
Mr. Douglas exhibited specimens of the rare little 
Moth Oelechia pauperella, reared from caterpillars, which 
fed upon Inula dysenterica in August; and it was sug¬ 
gested that these might possibly be the autumn brood 
of O. inopella, which is taken in the summer, being larger 
than the latter, as was, however, often the case with the 
two broods of a species, the caterpillars of the summer 
brood growing more rapidly, and, consequently, taking 
less food than the autumnal ones, which are slower 
of growth, and, taking more food, attain a larger size. 
Other instances of a similar kind were mentioned by 
different members present; as, for instance, Oeo- 
metra illunaria and juliaria, and Q. illustraria and 
delunaria. 
Mr. Augustus Shepherd exhibited a new British 
species of Noctuidse belonging to the genus Agrotis, 
allied to A. cursoria, taken on an Oak-tree near Carlisle; 
also, a new species of Ypsipetes (belonging to the family 
Geometridse), nearly allied to Y. elutaria, taken by Mr. 
Hodgkinson, of Preston. 
Mr. Waterhouse exhibited specimens of the Beetle 
Aricerus coffece, a native of India, Africa, and South 
America, and also a reputed British species which had 
proved injurious to a quantity of nutmegs. Mr. 
Douglas also stated that it had injured some cases of 
mace in the London docks. 
Mr. Lubbock made some observations on the various 
recorded instances of insects produced from fertile eggs 
deposited by females without any previous impregnation 
by the male. In such cases recent physiologists had 
supposed the existence of two different kinds of eggs, 
the one of the ordinary kind, and the other a kind of 
internal buds or offsets; and it was suggested that 
those cases in which young belonging to a single sex 
had been produced (such as only males by the Queen Bee, 
