280 THE FERN PARADISE. 



on the living plant, either in a wild or cultivated 

 state. We, therefore, started in our first search 

 for the wild plant from Totnes, in the direction 

 of Berry Pomeroy Castle, having been assured 

 that we should find some specimens on an old 

 wall which skirted the wood surrounding the 

 Castle. We were some time in finding the old 

 wall in question ; but we at length lighted upon 

 it. Carefully we searched on both sides for some 

 distance, but without encountering anything at 

 all like our descriptions of Ceterach. Presently, 

 however, the boundary wall was cast into deeper 

 shadow by the high and overlopping branches of 

 the trees in the wood ; and continuing our search 

 along the inner side of the wall, we at length found 

 several fine plants of the Scale Fern revelling in 

 the old mortar and leaf-mould, in a deep shady 

 cleft formed by the pointed coping stones. There 

 could be no mistaking the strongly-marked cha- 

 racteristics of Ceterach the thick, green velvety 

 texture of the frond on one side, and the dense 

 carpeting of rich reddish-brown scales on the 

 under surface. 



