106 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
usually in deep moist woods, but sometimes found in 
open places at high altitudes, or on cliffs. Although the 
holly fern is widely scattered, it is unusual to find more 
than a few individuals in any locality. It is rather gen- 
erally distributed on the east slope and at higher eleva- 
tions on the west slope, but it was not noticed about Bel- 
ton or Lake McDonald. The plants vary greatly in 
size. Those of high altitudes are often very small. 
About timber line they grow mostly under stunted pines 
and firs and other shrubs, seldom venturing far from 
some protection. In places plants were seen growing 
so far back in holes in cliffs that it was difficult to see 
how they could ever obtain any moisture. 
Dryopteris Linnaeana C. Chr. (Phegopteris Dryopteris 
Fée). Common in deep woods of fir, spruce, hemlock, 
giant cedar, ete.; chiefly at middle altitudes. The oak 
fern is abundant in many places. Usually it is associ- 
ated with Dryopteris Filiz-mas and Athyrium Filix-fe- 
mina, but frequently it grows alone, densely covering — 
mossy banks, or forming a thin ground-cover in the 
densest forest. The plants are very sensitive to dryness, 
and in 1919 many of them withered in late summer. 
Frequently the leaves are disfigured with dark spots, 
which may be the result of fungus action. The 
fronds vary greatly in size. It is this species, presum- 
ably, which has been reported from the Park by Jones 
as Phegopteris polypodioides. 
Dryopteris cristata (L.) Gray. Rare; seen only at 
Johns Lake (just above the head of Lake McDonald), 
growing under bushes in sphagnum at the outer edge of 
the bog. The plants were not very numerous. 
Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffm.) Underw. Common at 
middle altitudes, especially on the west slope; usually 
in moist woods or thickets or along brooks; sometimes 
in the less wet portions of sphagnum bogs. This is us- 
ually associated with the lady fern, and in general ap- 
pearance the two are not very conspicuously different. 
