206 THE DRITISH FERNS. 
in the more acute apices of the fronds and pinnæ, and in the 
more prominent toothing, which rather resembles that of the former, 
as does the colour and texture. The spores are echinate. It was 
found by Mr. Tait, of Edinburgh, at Silver Cove, near Wemyss 
Castle, on the coast of Fifeshire. [Plate CII D.] 
5. Dickieana (M.). This is the most decided variety yet known, 
but though distinct in appearance it is nevertheless connected with 
fragilis, through decurrens and dentata, and therefore, can only be 
considered a variety. Its chief peculiarities consist in the pinne 
being deflexed, and more or less overlapping, and in the broad short 
obtuse bluntly-toothed pinnules being crowded and overlapping, and 
all connected by the wing of the rachis with which they are 
decurrent. The fronds are of a bright deep green, often scarcely 
bipinnate, from the pinne and upper pinnules being confluent; the 
pinne are ovate-lanceolate somewhat twisted round, the lower 
margin being elevated; the pmnules are mostly decurrent, some- 
times much. so, broad oblong, or oblong ovate, obtuse, having but a 
few shallow blunt marginal notches, imbricated. In the more 
highly developed of the fertile fronds the lobes of the pinnules, 
though blunt, become more distinct, and they have then blunt 
inconspicuous teeth. The sori are situated very near the margin; 
and the spores are slightly verrucate or tuberculate, not echinate- 
tuberculate as in the other varieties, a fact, we believe, first pointed 
out by Mr. Wollaston. The twisting of the pinne from the plane 
of the frond, such as occurs in some degree in dentata, the deflexion 
of the pinne and the frequent confluence of the pinnules, produce a 
peculiar aspect, by which this variety is known ata glance. The 
plant was first found by Dr. Dickie on dripping rocks in a cave at 
Cove, near Aberdeen, and it has since been gathered beneath 
mieaceous rocks about two miles east of Cove, towards Light- 
house Point, by the late Mr. C. Barter, and by Dr. Balfour, near 
Dunkeld. The plant has also been gathered by Mr. G. Maw, in the 
Cove habitat; and that gentleman informs us that some fronds 
brought from the Great Isle of Arran in Galway by Mr. D. Moore 
of Glasnevin, appear to be identieal with it. In cultivation this 
variety has sometimes produced fronds or pinnæ with the apices 
multifid or forked. [Plate CII B.] 

