FERNS AND MOSSES. 70 
elements, and communing with, them ; each one unfolding 
or arriving, or attuning its heaven-taught minstrelsy in 
accordance with unalterable laws, which have never 
changed since the round earth emerged from chaos in its 
glory and its beauty, and went on its way rejoicing amid 
kindred worlds. 
Little or no variation occurs in the figure of the frond or 
leaf. It is uniformly elongate, lance-shaped, regularly 
pinnate, acute or sharp-pointed at the end, and gradually 
diminishing from about two-thirds of its length to the base, 
the lower pinna) being remarkably short a peculiarity 
which sufficiently distinguishes it from all other ferns. 
A small portion only of the rachis is bare, and covered with 
scales. The pinnse are linear, acute at the apex, somewhat 
distant, deeply pinnatifid, and affixed to the rachis only 
by their stalks; the pinnulce are rounded, and slightly 
crenate. 
OF THE MOUNTAIN FEKX. 
The veins present a simple alternate series, ceasing before 
they reach the margin ; circular and naked thecre are borne 
by each, and yet occasionally the veins divide nearly at 
their* termination, in which case each division reveals a 
separate mass. These masses, varying on cither side fror.' 
