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NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [16:6— Sept., 1920 



teacher will be very fortunate who is able to show her pupils this 

 stage of the fern. The prothallium is a stage of the fern to be 

 compared to the flower of the higher plants; but this is difficult 

 for young minds to comprehend. I like to tell the chldren that 



The Christmas fern. The contracted tips of some of the 

 fronds are fruiting pinnae. 



the fern, like a butterfly, has several stages: Beginning with the 

 spore-bearing fern, we next have the spores, next the prothallium 

 stage, and then the young fern. While in the other case we have 

 first the egg, then the caterpillar, then the chrysalis, and then 

 the butterfly. 



