120 FILICES 
minute stalked glands which are scattered over it, though the odour is very 
different from that of the Mountain Fern. The mid-vein of the pinnules of 
the Rigid Fern is waved ; branched veins issuing alternately from it, each 
becoming forked almost immediately on leaving the mid-vein. The lower 
branch divides again, each of the lesser branches running into a segment of 
the lobe. The upper branch—that is, the branch nearest the top of the 
frond—bears the circular clusters of fructification about half-way between 
the mid-vein and the margin, thus forming in an early stage two lines, one 
on each side of the mid-vein, and parallel with it. The clusters are crowded, 
and gradually mingle into one mass, each being covered by its lead-coloured 
kidney-shaped indusium, attached by a short stalk, and which is present at 
every stage of the plant. This fern grows at some elevation on the limestone 
mountains of the north of England, and seems almost entirely confined to their 
neighbourhood. At Ingleborough, in Yorkshire, it is frequent ; and on some 
of the North Lancashire hills it grows in thick, compact masses in wonder- 
ful profusion. Mr. Pinder, in writing to Mr. Newman, says—‘I met with 
Lastrea rigida in great profusion along the whole of the great scar limestone 
district, at intervals between Arnside Knot, where it is comparatively scarce, 
and Ingleborough, being most abundant on Hutton Roof crags and Farlton 
Knot, where it grows in the deep fissures of the natural platform, and 
occasionally high in the cleft of the rocks; it is generally much shattered 
by the winds, or cropped by sheep, which seem to be fond of it.” It has 
been found in abundance in the fissures of limestone rocks near Settle, in 
Yorkshire, at an elevation of 1,550 feet. 
This fern is very similar to the Male Fern, but it differs essentially in 
not having the lower pinne gradually diminished in size. It is also termed 
Nephrodium rigidum. 
4. Male Fern (ZL. filix-mds).—Fronds tufted, twice-pinnate; pinne 
linear-lanceolate ; pinnules oblong, blunt, and serrated ; clusters of fructifi- 
cation near the central vein. This fern possesses the great charm of common- 
ness. We find it in green lane, on open heath, and beneath the shadowy 
boughs of the woodland. Like the daisy, it stands connected with the 
pleasant reminiscences of early days, when we gathered its plume-like fronds 
to form a stay to the more fragile nosegay of wild flowers, which we bound 
against its firmer green leaf. We may see the handsome fronds of the 
Male Fern in almost all our country walks in summer, and often do they 
vary the more barren landscape of winter. It would be likely enough to be 
one of the ferns to which Nicolls alludes :— 
** An ell-lang wee thing, there I ran 
Wi’ the ither neebor bairns, 
To pw’ the hazel’s shinin’ nuts 
An’ to wander mang the Ferns: 
An’ to feast on the bramble-berries brown, 
An’ gather the glossy slaes 
By the burnie’s side ; an’ aye sinsyne 
I hae loved sweet Orde’ Brues.”’ 
The tall fronds of the Male Fern, two or three feet in height, are of a 
delicate, somewhat pale green, and grow in circular clumps. In April the 
young fronds are very pretty, curled round into circles and protected from 
