30 



American Fern Journal 



nishing me, as they had many others before, with dainty 

 bark, fit for the finest correspondence. 



Another trip several miles to the east was made by 

 stage, and then afoot, examining the woods and ledges 

 along the highway at first, then across country for five 

 or six hours. Stopping at a farm house to inquire where a 

 certain ledge might lead me if followed out, the lady of the 

 house directed me to a short cut, saying, "Go up to the 

 little brick church on the corner, turn to the right and 

 go down to the fourth line." My repeated inquiries 

 brought out the fact that the "fourth line" was a certain 

 highway! Before reaching the church referred to, the road 



Fig. 5. A strip of road near which Holly Ferns and Hart's Tongue 



grow. 



crossed a ledge, and in the woods just above there were 

 plenty of fine holly ferns and scattering, stunted hart's 

 tongues, the latter in more than one place were within 

 a few feet of the wheel tracks of the well kept stage road, 

 so near that the driver could flick them with his whip* 

 A little farther on, across the road from the little brick 

 church, children had a play-ground in the woods, and 



