1 66 WATER-LILIES 



the parrot's feather {Myriophyllum proser- 

 pinacoides). It grows in slender feathery 

 plumes. The leaves are very many, finely 

 divided, and arranged on all sides of the 

 stem. It grows rooted in earth at the edge 

 of the pond, and spreads out in a broad 

 feathery cushion of bright green. In autumn 

 take in a few sprigs and put the ends in a 

 bottle of water. It will grow all winter like 

 an "air-plant" without earth, but will do 

 better with some soil in the bottle. I know 

 a shallow, sheltered pond of spring water 

 near Philadelphia where it lives out of doors 

 from year to year. 



We may also have along the margin of 

 the pond species of Marsilia. It is a water- 

 fern, but does not resemble any other fern. 

 The leaves float or stand erect and look like 

 four-leaved clovers. It is a nice harmless 

 little thing. The European Marsilia {M. 

 quadrifoUa) is quite hardy in New England. 



A really fern-like water-fern is the horn fern 

 {Ceratopteris thalictroides). It is well known 

 in European botanical gardens, but is rarely 



