THE COMMON HARD FERN. 219 
inches long, arching, furnished with narrow linear subfalcate seg- 
ments. In some fronds the upper pinnules alone become fertile, 
and the lower remain sterile, in others less perfectly developed a 
few scattered oblong sori are produced here and there, the distinction 
between barren and fertile fronds presented by the species in its 
normal state being lost. The sori are sometimes continuous as in 
the normal plant, sometimes oblong, separated though in contiguous 
lines, and sometimes oblong and scattered. Somewhat similar 
semifertile fronds are occasionally borne on the normal form, but this 
appears to be a permanent variety of less than the average size. 
We have received it from Lancashire: Walsden, A. Stansfield; 
Peck Hill R. Morris. Ross-shire: mountain stream near Loch 
Alsh, Miss Mahy. 
— anomalum minus (M.). Thisis a smaller form of the same 
general character as anomalum; the fronds being about four inches 
high, and proportionately narrow. It was found on Walsden Moor, 
by Mr. Stansfield, who states that growing “cozily in the green 
sphagnum, almost in the water, and surrounded by other common 
Blechnums, it seemed a fairy form among satyrs." A frond which 
appears to be of the same form, gathered in Carnarvonshire, at 
Beddgelart, has been sent us by Mr. F. C. Wilson. 
5. angustifrons (M.). The fronds of this form, of which we have 
only the sterile state, are lax, and otherwise thinner than usual in 
texture, about ten inches long, swelling out to about an inch in 
breadth in the middle, and tapering off in both directions so as 
to acquire a long narrow outline. It was found in the Vale of 
Todmorden, by Mr. Stansfield. : : 
6. imbrieatum (M.). A beautiful and remarkably distinct con- 
stant variety, of which two or three forms occur. In the best 
form we have seen, the fronds are about five or six inches broad, 
lanceolate, tapered below, upwards of an inch in width, the seg- 
ments oblong acutish, densely crowded and overlying in an imbri- 
eated manner. The fertile fronds are about the same size and 
form, but elevated on somewhat longer stalks, so that they are six 
or seven inches high; they are pinnate, with crowded acute seg- 
ments. The dense sterile fronds are erectish and stand out around 
the crown forming a hollow centre. The stipites and rachides, espe- 

