AN OWL'S HEAD HOLIDAY. 251 
one place a rock thickly matted with the com- 
mon polypody; in another a patch of the 
maiden-hair ; in still another a plenty of the 
Christmas fern, or a smaller group of one of 
the beech ferns (Phegopteris polypodioides or 
Phegopteris Dryopteris). Our grape-ferns or 
moonworts, on the other hand, covet more 
elbow-room. The largest species (Botrychium 
Virginianum), although never growing in any- 
thing like a bed or tuft, was nevertheless com- 
mon throughout the woods; you could gather 
a handful almost anywhere; but I found only 
one plant of Botrychium lanceolatum, and only 
two of Botrychium matricariefolium (and these 
a long distance apart), even though, on account 
of their rarity and because I had never before 
seen the latter, I spent considerable time, first 
and last, in hunting for them. What can these 
Polypodium vulgare. A. aculeatum, var. Braunit. 
Adiantum pedatum. Cystopteris bulbifera. 
Pieris aquilina. C. fragilis. 
Asplenium Trichomanes. Onoclea struthiopteris. 
A, thelypteroides. O. sensibilis. 
A. Filix-femina. Woodsia Ilvensis. 
Phegopteris polypodioides. Dicksonia punctilobula. 
P. Dryopteris. Osmunda regalis. 
Aspidium marginale. O. Claytoniana. 
A. spinulosum, variety undeter- 0. cinnamomea. 
mined. Botrychium lanceolatum. 
A, spinulosum, var. dilatatum. B. matricariefolium. 
A. Goldianum. B. ternatum. 
A. acrostichoides. B. Virginianum. 
