94 



always pointing towards the centre, but then the ball com- 

 mences to bend backwards and eventually as it loosens 

 falls over backwards so as to assume the form of a reversed 

 crook, the coil now pointing outwards. If we now examine 

 the Male Fern we shall find no tendency to this reversal, 

 the frond rises straight with the loosening coil to the front 

 where it hangs so as to form a hook with the tip of the coil 

 turned towards the stalk instead of away from it. A further 

 difference between these two genera is that the protecting 

 scales of the Lastrea are dark brown, while those of the 

 Shield Ferns are pure white in their young stage and only 

 become brown later on. This rem.ark applies particularly 

 to the Soft Shield Fern and with the plumose forms of 

 these, the snow-white scales on the unrolling main and sub- 

 sidiary divisions add a quite peculiar charm to the plants 

 at this stage of development. 



The various species of Lastrea, other than the Male 

 Fern, have each their peculiar mode of unrolling the tip, 

 the true hook being transformed into more or less loose 

 balls, while in L. montana, the Lemon scented fern, the 

 terminal is quite ball-like and borne stiffly, the small 

 divisions projecting all round like the spikes of Magog's 

 mace in the Guildhall. The Lady Fern frond also adheres 

 to the stiffly borne ball-like type rather than the inward 

 hanging hook, unless the fronds are very robust and large. 

 The Polypodies have their peculiarities, especially the Oak 

 Fern, which invariably, as its fronds rise, shakes out its 

 three main divisions into three Httle balls, precisely on the 

 lines of a pawnbroker's sign ; while its near relatives, the 

 Beech and Limestone Polypodies, never show this 

 peculiarity. 



C. T. D. 



