138 WHERE TO FIND FERNS. 



ment of London, are made upon the country around it, 

 render it difficult to accurately define the locality of 

 fern habitats ; and any attempt to name particular spots 

 where ferns are to be found would involve the risk of 

 constant disappointment. Particular habitats may have 

 been stripped, and yet the same ferns may be found in 

 the vicinity of the old habitats. The plants may, so to 

 speak, have been driven further afield ; but the places 

 that used to know them are almost certain to furnish a 

 more or less reliable key to their actual "whereabouts": 

 that is to say, that the old habitat will at least provide or 

 suggest a good starting-point from which to search for 

 the new one. 



Amongst the authorities consulted for the purposes of 

 this chapter are the " Flora of Middlesex," by Messrs. 

 Trimen and Dyer, the floras of other metropolitan coun- 

 ties, and Dr. E. de Crespigny's " New London Flora." 



The localities are set out in alphabetical order, and 

 the name of each district is given in preference to 

 indicating the exact wood, lane, common, or down where 

 the habitat is to be looked for. To direct thousands of 

 persons, for instance, to the particular part of a wood, 

 lane, or common where certain species of ferns are to be 

 found, would be to secure the speedy extermination of 

 the plants ; and such easy acquisition would take away 

 half of the pleasure of fern-hunting. 



With regard especially to the following lists of ferns 

 round London, the Author will be glad at all times to 

 receive from correspondents information supplementary 

 to that contained in this chapter ; and, whenever pos- 

 sible, specimen fronds of ferns found in localities not 

 mentioned here, or not included under the names of the 

 districts which have been mentioned. 



ABBEY WOOD. Lastrea dilatata (Broad Buckler Fern), Lastrea 

 filix-mas (Male Fern). 



ACTON. Asplenium nita-nntraria (Rue-leaved Spleenwort), 

 Ophioi>lossum vulgatum (Adders-tongue). 



