44 WJialey- Bridge. 



the head of the reservoir, which is found among trees, 

 and steep and ivied cliffs. On the opposite side, near 

 the weir, grows the oak-fern, Polypo'dium Dryop'teris. 

 There is not much; therefore leave it untouched. To 

 grub up roots for one's garden when found growing in 

 asylums such as these, is mean and selfish. Though few 

 species of British ferns are plentiful everywhere, there 

 are few that are not extremely plentiful somewhere, and 

 often not far off. Collect them, if need be, where na- 

 ture delights in exuberance. In grasping and rapacity 

 there is neither gracefulness nor science. 



This principle needs so much the more urging now-a- 

 days, from the fact of the much wider diffusion of incite- 

 ments to the study of natural-history, and the offering of 

 prizes by high-titled Associations for collections, which, 

 if extensively prepared, would reduce many of our local 

 floras to strings of epitaphs. Natural-history is the study 

 of living things, not the preparation of mummies, and 

 resting therein ; and mere collecting, for the sake of 

 pastime or possession, whether of plants, or insects, or 

 shells, or birds' eggs, is no more natural-history than to 

 buy books is to become wise. Hence, in its own efforts 

 to promote Botany, the executive of the Manchester 

 field-naturalists not only recommends diffusion and multi- 

 plying, but in the annual offer of certificates for the best 

 collections made during the year, proposes to consider 

 those the most meritorious which best illustrate common 

 and popular plants, and the families of plants, and espc- 



