TRnilP I STERILE AND FERTILE FRONDS TOTALLY UNLIKE, 

 UKUUr FERTILE FRONDS WOT LEAF-LIKE IN APPEARANCE 



tinguishable from the capsules of the mosses, and 

 the maturing stems of the grasses which grew all 

 about. Lying flat on the earth, with face within a 

 few inches of the ground, was found the most satis- 

 factory plan of search. Down there all the indi- 

 vidual plants looked bigger, and a sidelong glance 

 brought the fertile clusters more prominently into 

 view. When the sight got accustomed to the minia- 

 ture jungle quite a number of specimens were found, 

 but the fern could hardly be said to be plentiful, 

 and all that we gathered were within a radius of a 

 couple of yards. This seems, indeed, to be one of 

 those plants whose whereabouts is oftenest revealed 

 by what we are wont to term a ' happy accident,' 

 as, for instance, when we are lying stretched on the 

 ground resting, or as we stoop at lunch to crack an 

 egg on the toe of our shoe. 1 know of one excel- 

 lent collector who spent a whole day looking for it 

 diligently in what he thought to be a likely spot, 

 but without success, when finally, just before the 

 time for return came, as he was half crouching on 

 the ground, scarcely thinking now of Schiz^a, its 

 fronds suddenly flashed upon his sight, right at his 

 feet. The sterile fronds of Schizsea pusiUa are ever- 

 green, so that the collector may, perhaps, most read- 

 ily detect it in winter, selecting days for his search 

 when the earth is pretty clear of snow. The sur- 

 rounding vegetation being at that time dead, the 

 little corkscrew-like Ironds stand out more promi- 

 nently." 



56 



