THE ROYAL FERBT. 89 



ing cheek told of her Saxon origin, and her light steps 

 bounded over the green turf like a young fawn in his native 

 glades. Often, in the stillness of a summer's even, did the 

 mother and her fair-haired child sit beside the lake, to watch 

 the dripping and the flashing of the father's oars, as he 

 skimmed right merrily towards them over the deep blue 

 waters. Sounds, as of hasty steps, were heard one day, and 

 presently a company of fugitives told with breathless haste 

 that the cruel Danes were making way towards the ferry. 

 Osmund heard them with fear. Suddenly the shouts of 

 furious men came remotely on the ear. The fugitives rushed 

 on. Osmund stood for a moment ; then snatching up his 

 pars he rowed his trembling wife and fair child to a small 

 island covered with the great Osmund Royal, and helping 

 them to land, bade them to lie down beneath the tall Ferns. 

 Scarcely had the ferryman returned to his cottage, than a 

 company of Danes rushed in ; but they hurt him not, for 

 they knew he could do them service. During the day and 

 night did Osmund row backwards and forwards, ferrying 

 troops of those fierce men. When the last company was put 

 on shore, Osmund kneeling beside the bank, returned heart- 

 felt thanks to heaven for the preservation of his wife and 

 child. Often in after years did Osmund speak of that day's 

 peril: and his fair child, grown up to womanhood, called the 

 tall Fern by her father's name." 



OSMUND ROYAL, OR FLOWERING FERN. [Plate XI.] 



The scientific name of this noble Fern is Osmunda regalis. 



This plant has a very stately aspect, growing to the ave- 

 rage height of three or four feet, but sometimes found eight 

 or ten feet high. The stem by degrees acquires height, so 

 that in very old and luxuriant plants there is a trunk formed 

 from a foot to two feet high. From the crown of the trunk, 

 whether seated close to the ground, or elevated, grow the 

 fronds. When young the fronds have generally a reddish 

 stipes, and a glaucous surface. These fronds, which are 

 annual, growing up in spring, and perishing in the autumn, 

 are lanceolate, bipinnate ; the pinnae lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, with pinnules of an oblong-ovate form, somewhat 

 auricled at the base, bluntish at the apex, and saw-edged 

 along the margin. Some fronds are entirely barren, and 

 these differ from the fertile ones only in having the leafy 

 pinnules continued all the way to the apex, instead of 

 having the apex contracted, and bearing the spore-cases : 

 The usual condition of the fructification is, that a few of tho 



