THE CHAIN FERNS. 



HE chain ferns are most at home in 

 the sandy swamps along the Atlantic 

 seaboard, and unless the collector 

 lives within a short distance of the 

 ocean, he is likely to see compara- 

 tively little of them. One species, it 

 is true, is found sparingly in inland 

 swamps throughout most of the 

 northeastern States but it is never 

 plentiful enough to become com- 

 mon. One is likely to always re- 

 member the day upon which he first 

 found it in his locality. The family 

 is distinguished from others by the 

 fact that the species bear their spor- 

 angia in oblong sori parallel to the 

 midvein, differing in this respect 

 from the Aspleniums whose sori are 

 oblique to the mkJvein. Otherwise 

 the fruit dots are not so very unlike. 



The Common Chain Fern. 



It is a frequent occurrence for collec- 

 tors to mistake the fronds of the common 

 chain fern (Woodwardia Virginicd) for 

 those of the ubiquitous cinnamon fern. 

 When growing in dense clumps they are 

 practically indistinguishable until one ia 



