154 THE FERN PARADISE, 



emerge again into the full daylight. The sun 

 sparkles on the rippling stream, giving the light 

 as from ten thousand diamonds ; and here, at 

 last, bending over the banks their tall fronds 

 spreading outwards and moving responsively to 

 the breeze, which is briskly blowing, are Os- 

 mundas in rich profusion ! Hard by is a grand 

 tuft of the Mountain Buckler Fern, and inter- 

 mingled with it are equally grand tufts of the 

 Hard Fern ! Both are on the extreme brink of 

 the stream, and their roots and those of the 

 Osmundas are within reach of the abundant 

 moisture, which is the secret of their grand pro- 

 portions. Split fragments of rock are scattered 

 about on the river side and in mid stream, giving 

 a wild picturesqueness to the whole scene, which 

 is beyond description lovely. The gurgling, 

 splashing, foaming water, sparkling with its ten 

 thousand diamond flashes ; the wood-bounded, 

 winding banks, with waving fern-fronds, now- 

 carried aloft and arching outwards with graceful 

 and majestic symmetry, now softly drooping, 

 whilst their pendant tips are caught one moment 



