118 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
stone cliff in the northern part of the county, about 
twenty miles from where the one was found this summer. 
That is the only record given in the state herbarium of 
any earlier occurrence of the species in the state. 
Throughout the greater part of Hocking County the 
bed rock is a massive, coarse-grained sandstone, which 
forms high cliffs, especially along the smaller valleys. 
At the heads of the valleys there are in many cases 
extensive rock shelters formed by the overhang of the 
sandstone, and in these “caves” and along the cliffs 
grow many of the smaller rock-loving ferns. Maiden- 
hair Spleenwort and Pinnatifid Spleenwort are two of 
the most common species, the former growing usually 
on moist or dripping rocks, the latter in niches on the 
drier ledges. Both of these species grow most commonly 
on ledges pitted and seamed by differential erosion. 
Mountain Spleenwort occurs occasionally in a similar 
habitat. Where a comparatively smooth face of a cliff 
has become covered with moss Walking fern is sometimes 
found in dense mats. On such a mossy cliff and associ- 
ated with the Walking fern was found the specimen of 
Scott’s Spleenwort. At the top of the ledge was a 
colony of Ebony Spleenwort, and one plant of that 
species was growing on the face of the cliff near the 
specimen of Scott’s Spleenwort. The association of the 
three species’ is shown in the photograph. 
At first glance the plant of Scott’s Spleenwort some- 
what resembled Pinnatifid Spleenwort, but closer exami- 
nation revealed the black color on the rachis and the 
thinner texture of the blade, while the segments were 
more irregular and some of them more pointed than in 
the commoner species. Perhaps the most readily notice- 
able difference was in the habitat and manner of growth. 
The Scott’s Spleenwort has a more erect and spreading 
habit, while the Pinnatifid is characteristically a some- 
__ What drooping species. Also the growth of the Scott’s 
