42 Rhodora [Marcu 
anywhere, but 4. Ruta-muraria is scarce,— only one patch on rocks 
within this circle. 
We find the Walking-leaf — to use Dr. Bigelow’s English name for 
the Camptosorus — but a pretty habit that it has may be the death of 
it. Growing amongst mosses and other low plants that need but little 
depth of soil, and whose interlaced roots weave the whole together, 
it frequently carpets the flat tops of rocks,— a beautiful sight which 
draws the attention even of idle picnickers who, not realizing that 
they are destroying years of growth, find it amusing to peel off these 
mats and then, without a pitying thought, throw them on the ground 
to die. Thus they have laid bare the rocks within sight of their 
walks; but away from the paths the interesting fern is still common. 
The three species of Phegopteris, P. polypodivides, P. hexagonoptera 
andjP. Dryopteris are common; the Aspidiums, A. Thelypteris, A. 
Noveboracense, A. spinulosum with var. intermedium and A. Bootti are 
everywhere, while 4. cristatum, var. Clintonianum is not so common. 
Cystopteris bulbifera edges the brooks and drapes the wet rocky 
banks with a luxuriant growth, the elegantly tapering fronds often 
three feet long, and the rhachis thickly set with bulblets. Woodsta 
obtusa is fairly common on rocks, but disappears as we go up and is 
replaced by W. Zivensis. ‘The three Osmundas grow wherever the 
situation suits them, and var. frondosa of O. cinnanomea may be found 
any year when there has been a late spring frost to check the devel- 
opment of the unrolling fronds;—so I am told by Dr. W. H. 
Chapin, who is, like Mr. Stebbins, very familiar with the mountain. 
Of the Adder's Tongue family, first in interest is perhaps Botry- 
chium simplex. One happy year Mr. Stebbins, with a friend's help, 
- counted over eight hundred plants in a space ten rods by seven or 
eight in extent, and that after he had collected freely for pressing ; 
it took sharp eyes to detect the delicate little things, but the census 
takers went down and crept on hands and knees as long as speci- 
mens showed themselves. A few came up in the same place 
the next year, but after that no more; still at the right season one 
who knows the mountain can find the plant in some spot. B. Vir- 
ginianum grows in the woods, B. Zernatum in its varieties australe 
and intermedium in the sugar orchards, and vars. oZiquum and dis- 
sectum in pastures. Ophioglossum vulgatum comes up in solid clumps 
and then mysteriously disappears and has to be sought in some 
other place, but it is soon found. 
