THE BRACKEN. 129 



bursting, the tiny atoms are scattered far and 

 wide, and falling on congenial soil, and being 

 subjected to the conditions which favour their 

 existence, become developed into the mysterious 

 and beautiful fern life which we admire. 



One curious and interesting peculiarity of the 

 wild Bracken must be noticed. If a vigorous stem 

 of a Bracken frond be cut transversely close to the 

 ground, and examined, a figure having a striking 

 resemblance to an oak tree will be discovered in 

 the centre of the cut section of the stem. 



In lovely Devonshire we have seen the beautiful 

 Bracken, in the damp recesses of woods, soaring 

 to its greatest height of ten feet, and spreading 

 abroad its feathery arms with exquisite and droop- 

 ing grace. It is always beautiful, especially when 

 densely covering the ground ; but we do not recol- 

 lect to have ever seen it wear so charming an 

 aspect as in one particular fir copse in the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of Newton Abbott. The 

 whole length of the fir plantation, as far as the eye 

 could reach in every direction, was covered with 

 golden-green Bracken. The graceful symmetry of 



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