BRITISH FERNS. 19 



some degree uncertain, but the normal form is circular ; it never 

 exhibits any tendency to an elongate or linear figure ; the attach- 

 ment of the thecae is in itself punctiform. 



The Rock Brakes, Rock Parsley, or Parsley-leaved Fern, is 

 a small plant, generally varying between four and eight inches 

 in height : where abundant, its bright green fronds form a cheer- 

 ful and pleasing contrast to the dark masses of weather-beaten 

 and lichen-stained rock with which it is almost invariably sur- 

 rounded. Although it occasionally condescends to seek a shelter 

 in the crevices of old stone walls, its favourite site is among the 

 shapeless masses of stone which are often strewn in such pro- 

 fusion down the sides of our mountains: except in such situa- 

 tions we rarely meet with it. In England its favourite habitat 

 is in the lake district of Cumberland and Westmoreland : in 

 the midland and southern counties it is entirely unknown ; in 

 Wales it flourishes in certain spots about the Snowdon range, 

 but does not generally abound. In Ireland it is decidedly a rare 

 plant, and I believe has only been found on the Mourne moun- 

 tains by Mr. Mackay, and in the liberties of Carrickfergus by 

 Mr. Moore. In Scotland, I believe, it is generally, although 

 sparingly, distributed. In the course of a walk in the Highlands, 

 in the summer of 1838, I noted at least forty localities where I 

 observed it, but it was invariably in small quantities, generally 

 a few scattered plants in the old walls, and amongst the stones 

 shattered down by some convulsive movement of the earth 

 beneath the summits of the more rugged mountains. One of its 

 stations is on Ben Arthur, or " The Cobbler," the outline of 

 whose black and rugged summit, which I sketched from near 

 Arroquhar, is shown in the vignette below. 



