FERA'S. 23s 



portion, where the rachis begins, are two ear-shaped expansions, one 

 on each side. The rachis is very prominent, and from it run towards 

 the margin of the frond several free veins, once or twice forked. It 

 may not be amiss to state that the term, free, as apphed to a vein means 

 that after it leaves the midrib - however much it may itself become 

 forked— it does not run into any neighbouring veins, but runs free to the 

 margin of the frond. The veins run somewhat closely together and 

 slant upwards a little ; on some of them, on the under side of the frond 

 are the lines of fructification. These are very conspicuous, they are 

 generally about an eighth of an inch apart and are elongated clusters 

 of sporangia, covered by indusia, which, when the spot-es are ripe, 

 split down the centre and curl back, exposing the abundant sori. 

 The elongated clusters of sori vary in length according to the width 

 of the frond ; they cover about two-thirds of the space on each side of 

 the rachis and are borne on the upper part of the frond and about mid- 

 way between the rachis and the margin. It is to this peculiar mode 

 of fructification that the genus owes its name. Scolopendra is the 

 Latin name of a kind of Centipedes, the many legs of which the dark 

 brown parallel lines of fructification, on each side of the rachis, are 

 supposed to resemble. The stipe is of a dark purplish colour and in 

 large luxuriant specimens, this colour is frequently carried on along 

 the rachis. The Canadian specimens are generally of a lighter green, 

 and the fronds thinner than the English. The plant, too, is smaller. 

 In England, where it is a very common fern, there are a great many 

 varieties, some of which are crested and cut up into many lobes at the 

 end of the frond, or waved and crimped along the edges. This fern 

 takes kindly to cultivation, and grows luxuriantly in a fern case or 

 cool conservatory. 



Walking Leaf — Walking Fern — Camptosottcs rhhophyllus, (Link). 



In many respects this rare Rock-fern resembles the Hartstongue 

 very closely, in fact it has been described by some botanists as belonging 

 to the same genus. It has evergreen, entire fronds, with auricled or 

 hastate bases ; the apices, however, of the fronds are very much atten- 

 uated and elongated, and when fully mature curl down and take root at 

 their tips. It is from this characteristic that the popular name of 

 Walking-Fernis taken, because the fronds, rooting at the tips, develop 

 into new plants, which again throw out fronds, which go through the 

 same process, and in this way the plant " walks " farther and farther 

 away from its original source. I have sometimes found plants of three 

 generations all joined together in this way. The fronds grow out in all 

 directions from the crown of the tufted root-stock, and aie more or less 



