THE BRACKEN. 



by a thin leaf-skin, and arranged in rounded lines ; 

 at first, in colour of a whitish green, but becoming, 

 as autumn arrives, a rich golden brown. Then 

 the skin cases which cover these infinitesimal 

 germs of Fern life bursting, the tiny atoms are 

 scattered far and wide, and falling on congenial 

 soil, and being subjected to the conditions which 

 favour their existence, become developed into 

 the mysterious and beautiful forms which we 

 admire. 



One curious and interesting peculiarity of the 

 wild Bracken must be noticed. If a vigorous 

 stem of a Bracken frond be cut transversely close 

 to the ground, and examined, a figure having a 

 striking resemblance to an oak-tree will be dis- 

 covered in the centre of the cut section of the 

 stem. 



In lovely Devonshire we have seen the beautiful 

 Bracken, in the damp recesses of woods, soaring 

 to its greatest height of ten feet, and spreading 

 abroad its feathery arms with exquisite and droop- 

 ing grace. It is always beautiful, especially when 

 densely covering the ground ; but we do not recol- 

 lect to have ever seen it wear so charming an 



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