The Walking Fern in Iowa. igj 



THE WALKING FERN IN 10 U^A. 



The rare and curious Walking Fern, Camptosorus rhizophyllus 

 has been mentioned by several authors as of lowan occurrence, 

 and I do not speak of such occurrence now as a novelty, but sim- 

 ply to describe a locality where I have found it in considerable 

 abundance. 



This locality is a bit of heavy, rocky woodland, upon the north 

 bank of the Des Moines river, about four or five miles below Ot- 

 tumwa, in Wapello County. The land is very hilly and rough, 

 and is immediately underlaid by a brown Carboniferous sandstone 

 containing large concretions of iron oxyd, and where the stone has 

 outcropped upon the hillsides, the iron has become disintegrated 

 by the action of the weather, and caused the formation of caves of 

 considerable size in the sandstone. 



In the Summer of 1884, I visited the place with geological equip- 

 ment, intent upon a study of the occurrence of the iron, and in 

 following up a high and narrow ravine cut thrc.ugh the sandstone, 

 suddenly breaking through a heavy growth of underbrush, I found 

 myself at the mouth of one of the caves I have mentioned, and di- 

 rectly in front of the aperture in the bed 01 the ravine was a large 

 boulder of sandstone covered with a thick growth of moss, and in 

 this moss were seemingly numberless specimens of the Walking 

 Fern. 



I should judge that there were fully 150 specimens, and, al- 

 though diligent search was made, not a single individual could be 

 found in the entire wood but upon this boulder. 



This trip was made late in June, and the ferns were just in con- 

 dition to exhibit all the peculiarities of the species — the long, slen- 

 der leaves, so unfernlike in appearance, with the delicate filament 

 growing from the tip. bending down and becoming rooted, to grow 

 into other individuals, and the curious arrangement of the spores. 



My geological equipment furnished no means for the preserva- 

 tion ot ferns, and only a few were gathered, and these were not in 

 the best of condition when I reached home. 



In the same month in 1886, some friends visited this same neigh- 

 borhood on a fishing expedition, and at my instance and direction 

 they made search for this same cave, and secured quite a large 

 number of the specimens, but as they did not reach home for sev- 

 eral days, there were but few of these in good condition. 



A number were prepared as well as possible, and have since 

 been largely contributed to several Eastern Museums and other In 

 stitutions, and I have yet a few remaining, which I should be 

 pleased to place where they will be of value. 



W. R. Lighion, 

 112 South Esplanade, Leavenworth, Kansas. 



