FKKNS .VST) 3IOSSES. 31 
the meek, soft-eyed primrose. The mezereum, that fills the 
air with fragrance, and daffodils 
" That come before the swallow dares, and tint 
The winds of March, with beauty." 
often affect the same locality. 
BROAD FERN. 
Fronds of the Broad-fern (Lastraa dilatata, or Aspidium 
dilatahim and spinuhsum, and Polypodium cristatum, for 
by each of these names has the Broad-fern been designated) 
also appear in March, and although thus early developed, 
are rarely injured by the frost. New fronds succeed one 
another as. the months pass on ; they apparently attain their 
maturity in September, and continue green and vigorous 
throughout the winter yet only in sheltered places, for the 
Broad fern seems to shrink instinctively from cold. 
This fern occasionally assumes a dissimilar appearance 
from such as it generally presents, and is therefore somewhat 
puzzling to inexperienced botanists. Four types are noticed 
by Xewman in his interesting history of British species, and 
are as follow : 
The Linear type ; erect, rigid, pale sickly green ; lateral 
margin of the frond nearly linear, as figured above. 
The Dwarf type : dwarf, nearly erect, rigid, dark-green 
or brown ; lateral margin nearly linear ; all the divisions 
having a tendency to become convex. 
The Triangular type : drooping, deep full green, broadly 
triangular ; the divisions slightly convex. 
