•70 



FEA'.VS. 



difficult to move unless a piece of sod is taken up with the plant. The 

 fertile frond is large and conspicuous, and is a great ornament to the 

 plant when the spores are mature. It is an Evergreen, and takes a rich 

 bronze tinsje of colour from the winter's frosts. 



Ferns Indigenous to Great Britain and Canada but Rare in 

 in the Former country, or which present such Dif- 

 ferences in Appearance as to make them desirable 

 for Comparison. 



Common Brake — Ptcris aq nil in a (1..) 



The different aspect this plant bears in Canada, to the tall, 

 luxuriant fern of England, attracts the attention of all visitors from the 

 Old Country. The chief differences consist of the smaller fronds and 

 much heavier and more conspicuous fructification. The two are 

 considered to be identical, but it would be interesting to grow them 

 both together and observe whether the differences remained constant. 



Lady Fern — Aspleiiin//i Filix-fa-Diiiia (Bernh.) 



Under this name are grouped many widely separated varieties, all 

 of which would be interesting for comparison with the British forms. 

 The beauty of all the varieties of this fern, however common they might 

 be, would always render them acceptable to fern growers. 



Beech 1'"ern — Plicf^optcris polypodioidcs (l-'ee.) 



This fern which grows so abundantly in most of our woods, is 

 much less common in (ireat Britain, where it is also known under the 

 name of the Mountain Polypody. Our plant differs somewhat in 

 appearance and habits from its British representative. The habitat of 

 the Canadian plant, in Ontario, is on rather dry knolls in woods, and the 

 fronds are almost of a leathery consistency : while in England, the 

 Mountain Polypody is found in deep shade on the margins of mountain 

 streams or in damp woods ; the fronds too, are of a much more delicate 

 texture and colour than in our plant. 



Oak 1'i;rn — F/icgopteris Dryopkris (Fee.) 



This lovely, delicate species, which is found everywhere in our 

 •woods, is quite uncommon in England ; it is more abundant in 



