THE POLYPODIES. 



autumn, assume the beautiful appearance of little 

 heaps of gold-dust, so richly coloured are they. 



Essentially a forest Fern is the Common Poly- 

 pody, waving its delightful fronds aloft in forest 

 tree forks. But it has also wonderful powers of 

 domestication. No Fern is so plentifully vended 

 in the London streets as our Polypody; for 

 Epping Forest that delightful strip of green- 

 wood furnishes the plant in thousands. In 

 beautiful Devonshire it grows not only on garden 

 walls, but on the housetops, under cottage eaves, 

 and indeed almost everywhere ; and in cultivation 

 it will smile refreshingly on your efforts to pre- 

 serve it. It is, finally, though plentiful, not 

 common ; and though simple, it is beautiful. 



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