THE LIKE OF A FERN. 185 



i 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

 The Life of a Fern. 1 



ONE of the most marvellous of " the fairy tales of science " 

 has now to engage our attention for a time. The growth 

 and fertilization of the seeds more properly called spores of 

 ferns, present phenomena of remarkable singularity and in- 

 terest. Growth is advisedly named first, as in the present 

 instance it really does occur before fertilization, which is not 

 the primary event in the life-history of a fern. 



But a few words must be devoted to the preliminary question : 

 What is a fern ? 



The vegetable kingdom is divided into two great provinces, 

 allotted respectively to the flowering and the flowerless tribes. 

 The flowering plants have several distinct and visible organs 

 for the formation and fertilization of their seed, to each of 

 which is assigned a special and necessary office. In the 

 flowerless section, on the contrary, there are none of these 

 visibly separate agencies in reproduction, and what are usually 

 termed the seeds do not show any parts representative of 

 the developed product. In the true seeds, which belong to 

 flowering plants alone, are contained the rudiments of a stem, 

 leaves, and root, but in the spores of the flowerless plants 

 nothing of the kind is found. The spores, again, are micro- 

 scopic, while the smallest of true seeds can be not only seen 

 but easily picked up. You have, doubtless, met with the 

 peculiar fungus called a puff ball, and amused yourselves by 

 watching the little clouds of impalpable dust which are shaken 

 from it on the slightest motion. Those fine clouds, not nearly 

 so visible as a film of candle smoke, are composed of innumer- 

 able spores, and such are the representatives of seeds in every 

 member of the great section of the flowerless plants. 



1 For this Chapter I am indebted to my friend Mr. William Whitwell, 

 of Oxford. 



