4 FERNS. 



broader in growth, and with the pinnae cleft, but it is 

 never found with spores. 



The Irish variety (P. hibernicum), is doubly-divided 

 (pinnatifid), and fertile. 



The common Polypody is not very good for garden 

 ferneries, because its fronds perish in the first frost, 

 according to Sowerby. Under shelter it is evergreen. 

 A medicine made from it used to be given in whooping- 

 cough. 



Further on in the dell, where the trees made a deep 

 shade, a quantity of a beautiful small Fern was growing 

 like a miniature forest. Its foliage varied from dark 

 green to the tender tint of the first spring foliage. The 

 rachis was slender and brittle, from half a foot to a foot 

 high, and terminating in three branches. Here and there 

 one frond stood higher than the rest, with its pinnae 

 much curled-in. On examining some of these we found 

 them plentifully speckled with spore-clusters, while the 

 more fragile undergrowth were destitute of fruit. Our 

 lens shewed these to be coverless, so we concluded that 

 it must be a Polypody ; and its three branches and 

 rachis, coloured with purplish brown, indicated it to be 

 the Oak-Fern (P. dryopteris, Plate I.,' jig. 2). The only 

 objection to this conclusion was that it was growing in 

 a Birch-wood, and the Oak-Fern is generally described as 

 inhabiting Oak-woods. \se were relieved from this 

 difficulty by finding one or two small Oaks in the 

 vicinity ; but the leaf mould in which its rhizome was 

 lightly rooted, branching in every direction like the 

 underground stem of the Wood Anemone, was chiefly 

 compounded of Birch leaves. Tins fern is one of the 



