98 FERNS OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



most conspicuous plant of the tribe in all parts of this 

 kingdom. To its abundance in several places, doubtless, 

 we owe the old names of various towns and villages; 

 as Eearnham or Farnham; Tarnhurst; Parnborough; 

 Farnworth, and Parningham. To this fern, too, probably 

 the old proverbs and poems refer. Several of the latter 

 were collected from the secluded villages of our Country 

 by John Ray, but the rustic wisdom which they may be 

 supposed to contain is not always apparent to modern 

 readers. There was a homely proverb once in common 

 use: — 



" When the fern is as high as a spoon. 

 You may sleep an hour at noon ; 

 When the fern is as high as a ladle, 

 You may sleep as long as you're able ; 

 When the fern begins to look red, 

 Then milk is good with brown bread." 



The name of Brake, as weU as the Scottish one of 

 Bracken, is a very old one for this fern. In the old 

 Anglo-Latin dictionary published by the Camden So- 

 ciety, we find " Brakane or Brakanbuske," described as 

 "feme or brakans." The Editor, Mr. Albert Way, 

 observes that Ray gives the word "brakes" as generally 

 used in his day; and he adds, that it is generally 

 retained in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is probably pretty 

 general in most counties of the kingdom ; it is certainly 

 the common name of the plant in Kent, and the fern is 

 also usually called Brake in North America. Mr. Way 

 observes in a note : — " In the Household Book of the 

 Earl of Northumberland, 1511, it appears that water of 

 Braks was stilled yearly for domestic purposes." In 

 other old writers we find it called " forne." Thus, in 



