THE COMMON HART'S-TONGUE FERN. 189 
many places: e.g. Littlehampton, G. B. Wollaston ; Nettlecombe, 
C. Elworthy ; Frenchay near Bristol, T. H. Thomas ; Coninbrough 
Cliffs, J. Hardy; Cumberland, R. Morris; Ruthin, T. Pritchard ; 
Colin Glen, Belfast, A. Crawford; Kilmoganny, Kilkenny, J. R. 
Kinahan; Black Head, Clare, J. R. X. [Plate LXXXIX.] 
A dwarf broad-fronded variety (lato-multifidum, M.) has the fronds 
six or seven inches long, and two and a half broad in the basal 
normal portion; the upper part is multifidly divided into numerous 
segments and more or less repand or suberenate. It was found at 
Wood Plumpton near Preston, Lancashire, by Mr. Stansfield. 
128. microdon (M.). This elegant form bears fronds a foot high, 
exclusive of the stipites, and about an inch wide; they are cordate 
at the base, and undulated, suberenately lobed, and here and there 
dentate on the margin, the toothed portions being submarginate; the 
apex is multifid with twisted lobes. One of its peculiarities is the 
sulcate condition of the upper surface in the upper part of the frond. 
It was found in Ireland, by Dr. Allchin, and is quite constant. 
129. contractum (Woll.). This variety has been named on 
account of having its fronds drawn in or waist-like just below their 
densely-multifid apices. It is a compactly multifid plant six to eight 
or ten inches high, cordate at the base and normal in the lower 
part, densely flabellate-multifid-erisped at the apex, and below the 
multifid tuft more or less distinctly contracted; in passing this 
contracted part, the veins become confluent in masses, giving that 
part a disturbed ridged appearance; the apex also is somewhat 
submarginate. It was first found in Clare, Ireland, by Dr. Allchin, 
and is permanent. Similar forms have been: met with in Guernsey, 
by Mr. Jackson; at Smeerset, by Mr. Clapham; at Ruthin, by 
Mr. Pritchard; at Nettlecombe, by Mr. Elworthy; and a very 
characteristic seedling, represented in our plate, has been raised by 
Mr. Clapham. [Plate XCI bis, C.] 
A small ramose form (rainoso-contractum, M.) found by Mr. Jack- 
son, resembles this in its cristate and contracted peculiarities, 
130. polycuspis (M.). This form is normal below, and multifidly 
branched at the apex, as in multifidum (127), contractum (129), and 
others, the tuft being in many cases very broad and much divided. 
The peculiarity is that the ultimate divisions are of considerable size : 

