OR, PLAIN TEACHING. 



11 



627, 



The fronds, 11, 12, present a 

 curious appearance, being rolled 

 up like a crosier at their ex- 

 tremities, at the period when 

 their development begins. The 

 organs of fructification will be 

 found in little reddish scales or 

 capsules underneath the leaves. 



12 



Several species of ferns have been 

 employed as food, and others as 

 medicine ; but they are now gene- 

 rally disused for these purposes. 

 The Greeks called ferns generally 

 by the name of Pteris, because 

 they resemble plumes in their 



light and divided appearance. 

 Pteris aquilina, 12, the common 

 brake or fern, is abundantly 

 found throughout Great Britain, 

 and in North and South Ame- 

 rica. Indeed, with a few varia- 

 tions, it enjoys a very wide 

 geographical range. It affords 

 an excellent covert for game, 

 and serves for many household 

 purposes. It is used as litter 

 for cattle, and very frequently 

 for the purpose of thatching cot- 

 tages. The ashes are employed 

 in the manufacture of soap and 

 glass. For its astringent quality, 

 it is used in dressing kid and 

 chamois leather. Country people 

 make a decoction of it for the 

 cure of internal worms ; and a 

 bed made of the green plant is 

 held by them to be an efficient 

 remedy for the rickets in chil- 

 dren. 



In the decoration of nature, 

 the simple tribes of mosses, 13, 

 play a much more important part 

 than may be supposed. They 

 constitute one of Nature's mi- 



