4 



THE FERN BULLETIN 



to any great extent by the infirmities that often creep 

 on as the shadows of age deepen. His hearing only, 

 was slightly impaired. He often expressed a desire 

 that he might pass on before he became a burden to 

 himself or friends and it is a comforting thought that 

 he had his wish. Toward the end, his bodily vigor 

 failed rapidly, but his mind was clear to the last. 

 Throughout his life he took a deep and sincere inter- 

 est in the mysteries of the universe and died in the 

 hope of transition to a higher plane where earth's rid- 

 dles are solved. — W. N. C. 



THE PINNATIFID SPLEENWORT IN 

 NORTH-EASTERN OHIO. 



•By Ernest W. Vickers. 



It is fit that my previous notes on Asplenium mon- 

 1 anuni should be followed by those on Asplenium pin- 

 natifidum since an attempt to extend the local distribu- 

 tion of the former species in preparation for that writ- 

 ing resulted in the discovery of the latter species. My 

 friend Almon Rood, well says : "I never was successful 

 at finding things I searched for; always found some- 

 thing else and then stumbled on the thing I wanted 

 when I was not looking for it." This is a common 

 experience of botanist and naturalist. So on July 18, 

 1909 while carefully examining the almost perpendicu- 

 lar sandstone walls at Lauterman's falls in Mill Creek 

 Park, near Youngstown Mahoning County, Ohio, I 

 failed to find Montmum but stumbled on pinnatiiidum. 



At this point in Mill Creek's picturesque gorge the 

 scene becomes wild and most romantic and the lover of 

 natural beauty as well as the botanist feels that some- 

 one has been exceedingly wise and good in setting 

 aside this generous ^ lice of untouched, untrained 



