J. E. LITTLEBOY OUR LOCAL FERiyS. 87 



border of green foliage all round tliem ; it is nearly, if not quite, 

 an evergreen. 



16. Ceterach officinarum. — I do not feel quite certain that this 

 comparatively rare fern is thoroughly naturalized in. this district. 

 I have met with it in two perfectly distinct localities ; one of them 

 being the outside ledge of a garden wall about half a mile fi'om 

 Hunton Bridge, and the other an old wall forming a portion of 

 a terrace in some grounds near Kickmansworth. I have recently 

 been informed that it has also been found in the neighbourhood 

 of Hemel Hempstead. It is a charming little fern, possessing, 

 during the early summer, a soft downy appearance. It grows 

 freely and without difficulty under cultivation, if supplied with a 

 sufficiency of leaf-mould. 



17. Pteris aquilma. — The common brake is probably well known 

 to every individual present, and needs but little notice from pen 

 of mine. It abounds in our parks and commons ; it forms a ready 

 shelter for the deer, and adds a picturesque beauty to our wood- 

 land landscapes. Under favourable circumstances it will attain 

 the height of six or eight feet, but, more generally, it varies from 

 two to five. Its long dark roots, or rhizomes, are about the 

 thickness of one's finger, and penetrate the soil for several feet ; 

 when cut transversely, they display with extraordinary exactness 

 the appearance of an oak tree. This freak of nature has been 

 described as follows : — 



" Have ye to learn, how the Eagle fern 



Doth in its heart enshrine 

 An oak tree like that which the hunter Hearne 



Haunted in days " lang sjTie " ? 

 An oak tree small is repeated all 



Complete in branch and root. 

 Like the tree whereunto King Charles did flee 



When pressed by hot pursuit." 



18. Ophioglossum vulgatum. — The curious little plant, well known 

 as the " adder' s-tongue," is found in great abundance in many 

 of our damp pastures. It abounds in the Grove Park, and may 

 be gathered in almost every meadow in the valley extending from 

 Berkhampstead to Cassio Bridge. The frond of the adder' s-tongue 

 is first observable in May ; it is composed of a long pale-coloured 

 stipes and a deep green leaf, from the base of which an erect spike 

 issues. This spike is distinctly stalked, its upper portion being 

 composed of two series of crowded capsules : when ripe, these 

 capsules burst open and discharge their contents on the turf around. 



The appearance of the adder' s-tongue is very pecuKar; in shape 

 and style it somewhat resembles the Arum maculatum — the lords 

 and ladies of our hedges — but is infinitely smaller. 



I believe that I have now mentioned the leading characteristics 

 of most, if not all, of our local fems. I feel very certain that 

 no phase of botanical research will be found more replete with 

 gratification to those who follow it than is the study and cultiva- 

 tion of this delightful group of cryptogamic plants. 



