THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 3, 1857. 301 
WEEKLY CALENDAR 
D 
M 
D 
W 
FEBRUARY 3—9, 1857. 
Weather n 
Barometer. 
ear Lon 
Thermo. 
DON IN 
Wind. 
1856. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
M 0 ons 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
3 
To 
Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus), 
30.025—30.011 
44—25 
S.E. 
_ 
38 a. 7 
51 a. 4 
3 
14 
9 
14 
9 
34 
4 
W 
Alder (Betula alnus). 
29-995 —29.952 
42—32 
S.W. 
01 
3G 
53 
4 
37 
10 
14 
15 
35 
5 
Th 
Violet (Viola odorata). 
30.137—30.093 
52—41 
S.W. 
02 
34 
54 
5 
48 
11 
14 
20 
36 
6 
F 
Daffodil (Narcissus). 
29.927—29.612 
50—47 
S.W. 
02 
33 
56 
6 
41 
12 
14 
23 
37 
7 
S 
Mouse-Ear (Cerastium). 
29 . 912 — 29.662 
56—47 
S.W. 
06 
31 
58 
7 
17 
13 
14 
27 
38 
8 
Sun 
Septuagesima Sunday. 
30.038—29-986 
50—45 
S.W. 
— 
29 
V 
rises. 
© 
14 
29 
39 
9 
M 
Barren Strawberry. 
29-972—29.909 
60—45 
S.W.‘ 
— 
27 
2 
5 a 39 
15 
14 
30 
40 
Meteorology of tub Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 45 . 1 °, and 32.4°, respectively. The greatest heat, 62°, occurred on the 9 th, in 1851 ; and the lowest cold, 4°, 
| on the 9th, in 1847. During the period 97 days were fine, and on 99 rain fell. 
POLY'STICHUM LONCHI'TIS. 
; This Fern lias been included by some modern botanists 
I in tbe genus Aspidium, and by others in Polypodium. 
: By the older botanists it was called Lonchitis, which has 
always since been retained as the specific name, and is 
appropriate, logchitis, in Greek, signifying “ resembling 
a spear,” which is applicable to its leaves. In English it 
is known as the Holly Fern, being evergreen, dark- 
coloured, leathery, and prickly, Rough Alpine Shield 
Fern, Royal Polypody, Great Spleenivort, and Spleen- 
wort Polypody. 
Its root is tufted, large, coarse, scaly, black, and 
having numerous fibrous rootlets. Fronds in a circle 
round the crown of the root, and leaning outwards in a 
cup-like arrangement, varying from six inches to fifteen 
or more inches in height, narrow spear-head shaped in 
their general outline, stiff and harsh, colour very deep 
glossy green. Stem furrowed in front, clothed for three- 
quarters of its length with leaflets, and the unleafleted 
part covered with broad, large, tapering, dark brown 
scales. Leaflets crowded, so as to overlap the one 
next below, short-stalked, about three-quarters of an 
inch long, alternate, smooth on the upper surface, 
rather scaly on the under surface, pointed egg-shaped, 
but rendered irregular by a lobe near the base on the 
upper side, saw-edged, the teeth being irregular and 
fringed with sharp bristles. The mid-vein of each 
leaflet straight, with alternate side-veins, these being 
also branched. The fructification is borne by the lowest 
upper branch of each side-vein, forming a row of masses 
pretty close to, and on each side of, the mid-vein. The 
lobe of the leaflet has a small mid-vein of its own, and 
masses of fructification are on each side of it. The 
fructification rarely occurs except upon the upper leaflets 
of the fronds. The cover ( indusium ) of each mass is 
circular, fixed by the centre, notched on one side, and 
separating all round as the sori, which are light brown, 
increase in size. 
This species is rare, and found only in mountainous 
districts in the north of the British Islands. Its favourite 
haunts are the clefts of rocks near the mountain tops. 
In England it has been found about the upper part 
of the Tees; near Settle, in Yorkshire ; on Swarth 
Fell, near Ulleswater, and other parts of Cumberland. 
In T Vales, at Clogwyn-y-Garnedh, Snowdon; and on 
Glyder, near Llanberris. 
In Scotland, very common in the Highland valleys 
and exposed mountain sides. On the Bredalbane 
Mountains, Perthshire, at an elevation of about 3,000 
feet; Craig Chailleacli, Perthshire; Clova Mountains, 
and Glen Isla, Forfarshire; on Ben Lawers, and Falcon 
Clints, near Chaldron Spout, Teesdale ; Aberdeenshire, 
Moray, and Boss-shire; base of Benmore, Sutherland; 
on Ben Lomond ; and in Glen Phee. 
In Ireland, on Bandon Mountains; in a glen east 
of Lough Eske, Donegal; and on Glenade Mountain 
Leitrim. 
Polystichum lonchitis was not known as a British 
Fern when Ray published, in 1670, his Catalogus Plan- 
J?o. CCCCXXXYI. Vot XVII, 
