202 WAYSIDE WEEDS. 



getting tte name of " gori/^ and varying greatly in 

 shape, as already mentioned, ^nd iiow, to go 

 furtlier, you will need a good magnifying-glass or 

 small microscope to enable you to see that each 

 sorus, whether round, or naked as in the polypody 

 (Fig, 112), or covered with an indusium or involucre, 

 as in the male or lady ferns, hart's-tongae (Fig, 

 113), and spleen wort (Pig, 114), or with the frond 

 margin as in the brake, is made up of a number of 

 minute membranous cases (Figi 117), each supi 



Fig. 117.— Spore Cose, or Capsule, magnified. 



ported on its tiny stem, and surrounded by an 

 «lastic-jointed ring. In each spore case are con- 

 tained, fine as dust, the true fern spores — "fern 

 seed," if you like it better — -^nd when fully ripe 

 the elastic surrounding ring (Fig. 117) tears open 

 the little treasury. It is difficult to imagine a more 

 beautiful little arrangement, and marvellous indeed 

 would it seem to us, were it not that the Continued 

 never-ceasing marvels, the continued never-ceasing 

 creations of His hand, who made both heaven and 



