TROIIP J STERILE AND FERTILE FRONDS TOTALLY UNLIKE, 

 FERTILE FRONDS NOT LEAF-LIKE IN APPEARANCE 



tinguishaWe from the capsules of the mosses, and 

 the maturing stems of the grasses which grew all 

 about. Lying flat on the earth, with face within a 

 few inches of the ground, was found the most satis- 

 factory plan of search. Down there all the indi- 

 vidual plants looked bigger, and a sidelong glance 

 brought the fertile clusters more prominently into 

 view. When the sight got accustomed to the minia- 

 ture jungle quite a number of specimens were found, 

 but the fern could hardly be said to be plentiful, 

 and all that we gathered were within a radius of a 

 couple of yards. This seems, indeed, to be one of 

 those plants whose whereabouts is oftenest revealed 

 by what we are wont to term a ' happy accident/ 

 as, for instance, when we are lying stretched on the 

 ground resting, or as we stoop at lunch to crack an 

 egg on the toe of our shoe. I know of one excel- 

 lent collector who spent a whole day looking for it 

 diligently in what he thought to be a likely spot, 

 but without success, when finally, just before the 

 time for return came, as he was half crouching on 

 the ground, scarcely thinking now of Schizaea, its 

 fronds suddenly flashed upon his sight, right at his 

 feet. The sterile fronds of Schizaea pusilla are ever- 

 green, so that the collector may, perhaps, most read- 

 ily detect it in winter, selecting days for his search 

 when the earth is pretty clear of snow. The sur- 

 rounding vegetation being at that time dead, the 

 little corkscrew-like tronds stand out more promi- 

 nently." 



