plants, though a good deal damaged in severe winters if exposed, arc
thoroughly evergreen under shelter.
The Common Prickly Shield Fern is a widely-dispersed and not
uncommon plant, in shady hodgc-banks, woods, and similarly sheltered
situations. I t is found all over Fngland, Scotland, and Wales,
in the majority of tho counties, the records of the variety lobatum
showing an equally wide, if not wider range. The four provinces of
Ireland also produce it, as do the Channel Isles ; but we are not
aware of its having been found in the Northern or Western Isles.
I t ooours at the sea-level, in the south-western parts of Fngland ;
and in the form of lobatum, which seems the more common in
Scotland, it ascends to upwards of 2000 feelf in the Ilighlands. The
records of its distribution, so far as we have ascertained, are as
follows, but this species and P. angulare not being always well distinguished,
the particulars are doubtless imperfect, and perhaps in
some oases incorrect :—■
Peninsula.—Cornwall. Devonshire : Lynmouth ; Kingsteignton ;
between Totnes and Ashburton ; Barnstaple, P. Mules. Somersetshire
; Portishead ; Dundry Hill, near Bristol, G. II . K. Thwaites ;
Nettlecombe.
Channel.— Hampshire : Maple-Durham, near Petersfield, J .
Goodijer, July, 1633 ; Selborne, Miss Boicer ; Bramshot ; Alresford,
etc. Isle of Wight : Gurnet Bay. Dorsetshire. Wiltshire : Box
quarries, R. Withers ; Bretford, Salisbury ; and Bedlynoh, Downton,
W. Moore. Sussex : Henfield ; Cuokfield ; Hastings, etc.
Thames.-—Hertfordshire ; St. Alban’s ; Totteridge ; Hitchin ;
Essendon ; Cheshunt, etc. Middlesex: Norwood, 8. P. Gray;
Osterley Park ; Lampton lane ; Hendon, W. Pamplin. Kent :
Tunbridge Wells. Surrey: Ockshot, AT. G. Watson; Ma3dbrd ;
Dorking ; Denham, Mrs. James, and elsewhere. Buckinghamshire
: Fulmer. Berkshire ; Swallowfleld, R . Heward. Oxfordshire.
Essex : near Ongar ; Brentwood ; Chingford ; Little Warley
Common.
Suffolk : Sudbury, etc. Norfolk: Edgefield, near Holt.
Cambridgeshire : Gamlingay. Bedfordshire. Northamptonshire.
Severn.—Warwickshire: Stoneleigh; Alleslcy ; Rugby, Rev. A .
Bloxam; Ilollyberry End, and Wyken-lane ; Alcester (with tasselled
fronds), IH . Hooker; Elmdon House, and elsewhere. Monmouthshire
: Mamhilad, T. II. Thomas. Herefordshire. Gloucestershire:
near Bristo l; Leigh ; Stapleton ; Shapscombe Wood, near Pains-
wick; Foscott, and Broadwell, H . Buckley. Worcestershne:
Knightwick, P. Lees; Bromsgrove. Staffordshire. Shropshire:
Bridgenorth; Mannington, near Cherbury.
—Leicestershire: Charnwood Forest. Nottinghamshire:
Beeston; Mansfield ;Paplewick. Derbyshire: Matlock. Lincolnshire.
Lancashire : Chaigeley, near Clitheroe, E. J . Lowe;
Manchester; Gateacre, near Liverpool; Hail Wood; Burton Wood,
near Warrington, etc. Cheshire; Preston.
HlijMJer.—Yorkshire : Sowerby Dene, near Halifax ; Cast e
Howard Woods; Settle; Richmond; Studley ; Roche Abbey, J . P.
Young; Ripon ; Bradford, J . T. Newboult; Doncaster; Sliefiield ;
Y o rk ; Ingleborough.
Northumberland : Hexham, etc. Durham: Cawsey Dene,
etc., R. Bowman.
i« /« s .-C um b e rla n d : Irton Wood, J . Robson; Airey Force,
H . Fordham,eia. W e s tm o re la n d ; A m b le s id e ; R y d a l. Isle of Man.
S. Wales.—Pembrokeshire : Tenhy,-E. Lees; Castle Malgwj n,
Llechryd, W. Hutchison. Carmarthenshire. Glamorganshire. Brecknockshire
: Talgarth, E. Williams, and elsewhere common, J . R . Cobb.
N W a l e s .— Anglesea: Lleiniog Castle; Cickle, near Beaumaris.
DenbighsHre; Wrexham; Ruthin; Llanymj-neck. Carnarvonshire:
Llyn-y-owm; Bangor. _
W. Eoit’/iwrfs. — Dumfriesshire: Drumlanrig; ISithsdale, and
other parts, P . Gray. Kirkcudbrightshire, P . Gray. Renfrewshire.
Lanarkshire : Cartland Rooks.
E. Lowlands.—Edinhurghshire : Hawthorndon, T. M. Berwickshii
e: Pease Bridge, etc. t> n. i •
E. H i g h l a n d s .— ForhTshiro. Fifeshire : St. David s. Perthsluie .
Dunkeld, A. P«ii; Glenfarg, near Perth. Kincardineshire. Aberdeenshire.
, . , . T i e
W. H i g h l a n d s . - Argyleshhv: Glen Gilp, iLrdnshiag. Isles of
Islay, Cantyre, and Bute.
as