120 THE MARSH FERN TRIBE. 



fern belongs to another family. In the Isle of Wight, ac- 

 cording to Britten, it is called ground fern, while an- 

 other English writer alludes to it as the creeping water 

 fern. In some parts of America it is called the beaver 

 meadow fern probably from its abundance in the wet 



open savannas 

 known as beaver 

 meadows. The 

 name of snuff- 

 THE SNUFF-BOX. box fern will no 



doubt be thought particularly appropriate by all who 

 examine fully matured fertile fronds. The pinnules 

 curl over the abundant sporangia in such a way as to 

 appear very much like tiny half-open snuff boxes. Per- 

 haps quill fern is also in allusion to the revolute pinnules. 

 The marsh fern is found from Canada to North Caro- 

 lina, the Indian territory and Kansas and occurs also in 

 Europe and Asia. It thrives well in the fern garden 

 but can scarcely be said to be a beautiful species and is 

 therefore little cultivated except upon the borders of 

 small lakes and ponds. 



The New York Fern. 



Just as the marsh fern loves wet situations, the New 

 York fern (Aspidium Noveboracense) loves dry ones. 

 It is not meant that either is strictly confined to its 

 favourite domain, but that their habitats seldom overlap 

 to any great extent. In dry, shady woodlands, this is an 

 abundant possibly the most abundant species. It par- 

 ticularly loves the shade of oak, birch, maple and beech 

 but avoids direct sunlight and seldom remains long after 

 the sheltering trees are removed. 



