34 SMOOTH ROCK SPLEENWORT. 



Amersham Church, in Buckinghamshire. It has been 

 found at Matlock, in Derbyshire, and on a very old 

 wall at Tooting. Specimens exist in the collection of 

 the Botanical Society of London, said to have been 

 gathered in Wharncliffe Wood, in Yorkshire. Through- 

 out the continent of Europe, chiefly near the sea, in 

 Madeira, and northward to the English Channel, this 

 fern is found. It is recorded by Pallas as being a 

 native of the Ural Mountains, in Siberia. 



In the open air this pretty little fern is not very 

 successful, and is exceedingly liable to die off in the 

 winter, unless great care with regard to shade, shelter, 

 and moisture, be taken ; but under glass, in a Ward's 

 case, or in a greenhouse, there is no difficulty in rear- 

 ing it. In a small collection it is particularly desir- 

 able, from its small size and evergreen habit. Sandy 

 peat, well drained, suits it best ; and it is well to raise 

 the caudex a little above the level of the soil, by means 

 of pieces of soft sandstone. 



