THE BUCKLER FEIittS. 



and becoming shorter and shorter as they near 

 the top of the frond, in which they are finally 

 merged. The lower pairs of branches, besides 

 being larger than those above them, are also 

 broader. The branches are again divided into 

 leaflets, and these in their turn are either again 

 divided or deeply cleft, and the lobes or smaller 

 divisions, whether of branches or leaflets, are 

 serrated. One peculiarity must be noted. The 

 leaflets on the lower side of the mid- stem of the 

 branches are longer than those on the upper 

 side ; but this disparity gradually decreases 

 towards the top of the frond. It is, however, 

 remarkably prominent on the lowest pair of 

 branches, and the difference between the upper 

 and lower leaflets is most marked in the case of 

 the four immediately next the rachis on the 

 loAvest pair of branches. Even on these branches 

 the difference between upper and lower leaflets 

 gradually decreases towards the point of each 

 branch, near which they are, both above and 

 below, almost the same in size. 



On every part of the frond the lobes are curled 

 backwards, sometimes almost doubled back ; and 



345 



