TI1E BUCKLER FERNS. 



had arranged to meet Charles Hillman, already 

 alluded to, at Newton Abbott, whence he was to 

 pilot us to the Decoy Bog, in the vicinity of that 

 town. Unfortunately when we arrived at the 

 Newton Abbott station the rain began to pour. 

 But we had set our minds on Thelypteris, and, 

 nothing daunted, we started for the Decoy Bog 

 The bog lies under a wood at the foot of a furze 

 and Bracken-covered slope. Arrived at the top of 

 the slope we had to wade through the tall and 

 dripping Bracken breast high, pushing the Ferns 

 aside with one hand, and holding our umbrellas in 

 the other. We soon reached the bog, but there 

 our difficulties had only commenced. Interspersed 

 throughout the extent of the bog, which lay under 

 the shadow of the wood which covered it, were 

 some moss-covered mounds, chiefly occurring at 

 the roots or over the stumps of trees. It was 

 necessary to step with the utmost caution from 

 moss-covered mound to moss-covered mound, 

 holding on, as we did so, to the trees ; otherwise, 

 we should have been precipitated into the bog and 

 should have sunk we know not where. Wading 

 into this wooded morass, we at length came to a 



M 2 359 



