THE FERNS OF THE WOOD. 



A FEW years ago I was like the vast majority of 

 mankind, who do not know one fern from 

 another, and to whom the common brake is all 

 one with the graceful dicksonia. Looking a-t their wav- 

 ing fronds as they were crowded in the forest glades 

 was like looking over a strange audience of men and 

 women, — they were only a great mass of verdure, 

 where the eye made no distinction of individuals. 



But one day, I was sauntering along the roads of 

 Tam worth with a charming woman and accomplished 

 botanist. She made frequent pauses by the way and 

 numerous detours into the woods ; and from one of 

 her excursions she returned with a little fern which 

 she told me was a Phegopteris hexagonoptera. The 

 name staggered me, and added to my respect, already 

 large enough, for my companion, which was hardly 

 abated by her condescension in telling me that the 

 plain English title was beech-fern. I picked up a few 

 more names from this good friend of mine and learned 

 to recognise a few of these wayside people by sight. 

 But I had the mistaken notion that ferns are very hard 

 to understand and that it is reserved for expert botan- 

 ists, and for them alone, to be on speaking terms with 



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