FERNS, AND THEIR ALLIES. 2$ 



pally Interested in the hairs of the Scythian Lamb, 

 and to the others we have alluded incidentally. The 

 romance of one age becomes the servant of the next. 



Tara Fern. 



It is only in rare cases, and those almost of 

 necessity, that the natives in various countries resort 

 to ferns for supplying an article of food. An ex- 

 ceptional instance is reported by Mr. James Back- 

 house, of the use of the Tara Fern in Tasmania, and 

 he states that " the most extensively diffused eatable 

 roots of Van Dieman's Land are those of the Tara 

 Fern," which greatly resembles the common Bracken, 

 covering great extents of light and rich land. The 

 botanical name is Pteris esadenta. " It varies in 

 height from a {qw inches to several feet, according to 

 the richness of the soil, and in some parts of the 

 colony is so tall as to conceal a man on horseback. 

 The root is not bulbous, but creeps horizontally at 

 a few inches below the surface of the earth, and when 

 luxuriant attains the thickness of a man's thumb. 

 Pigs feed upon this root where it has been turned up 

 by the plough, and in sandy soils they will themselves 

 grub up the earth in search of it. The aborigines 

 roast it in the ashes, peeling off its black skin with 

 their teeth, and eating it as sauce to their roasted 

 kangaroo, in the same manner as Europeans use 

 bread. This root possesses much nutritive matter, 

 yet it is observed that persons who have been re- 

 duced to the use of it, in long excursions through 

 the bush, have become very weak, though it has sup- 

 ported life. Whether this arose from an insufficient 



