COLLECTING AND PRESERVING 127 



plicated fronds the process of examining may 

 be repeated three, or even more times, with 

 intervals of twenty-four hours. After two 

 or three days it will be found that the fronds 

 are quite dry, and they should have retained 

 almost all of their natural colour. 



The fronds may be moved into a portfolio 

 formed of sheets of stoutish paper. They may 

 be held in place by fastening a few strips of 

 gummed paper over the stipes and rachis. The 

 name, locality, and date of gathering should be 

 added to each specimen. Of course, in all cases 

 it is a good plan to have two fronds, one showing 

 the upper and the other the under side. Where 

 there are both barren and fertile fronds, an 

 example of each should naturally be included. 

 Thus, a highly interesting collection of fern 

 fronds may be gathered together with a small 

 amount of trouble. 



One is often asked by those who wish to study 

 British Ferns, where the most interesting speci- 

 mens are to be found. The answer to the 

 question is that it is always a wise plan to keep 

 your eyes open wherever you go. Many of our 

 smaller ferns are readily overlooked even by 

 the keenest observers. The writer can call to 

 mind an occasion when he sent away to a London 

 nursery to buy an example of the Wall Rue 

 Spleenwort. At the time he was living in a 

 town, and without a long tramp into the country 

 there seemed to be no hope of securing a speci- 

 men. A few days after the arrival of the pur- 

 chased plant any quantity of the little Fern, in 

 rather a dwarfed form, it is true, was found 

 growing in the crevices of a wall adjoining a 

 public road. The upper part of the wall being 

 covered with ivy, the Spleenwort found a position 

 beneath the protecting shade, where it attracted 



