OSMUNDA BEGAL1S. 199 
of Wight; at Saudford Bridge, near Wareham, and at 
New Bridge, near Wimborrie, iu Dorset; in the New 
Forest, and at Freemantle, near Southampton. 
In Scotland, at the head of Loch Fine, to the north- 
east of Inverary, Argyleshire, and on the Dumbarton 
side, near Loch Lomond ; at the side of the Loch 
at Incliuedamff, Sutherlandshire ; in Aberdeenshire, 
and on the coast of Kincardineshire. 
In Ireland, at Mucruss Abbey ; at Castlebar, in Mayo, 
and in Kelly's Glen, county of Dublin. 
In Wales, near Llyn Traffwll, in the turbary at 
Trewilmot, near Holyhead. 
The first notice of this "flower -crowned Prince of 
British Ferns " is in the edition of Oerardes Herbal 
of 1597. He says, "It groweth in the midst of a bog, 
at the further end of Hampstead Heath, from London, 
at the bottome of a hill adjoyning to a small cottage, 
and in divers other places; as also upon divers bogges 
on a heath or common neere unto Bruntwood, in 
Essex, especially neere unto a place there that some 
have digged, to the end to find a nest or mine of 
gold ; but the birds were over fledge, and flowne 
away, before their wings could be clipped." 
The root of this Fern was considered by ancient phy 
sieians, " especially the heart, or middle part thereof," as 
a powerful remedy if applied to wounds. That " middle 
part," says Gerarde, " hathe beene called the heart of 
Osmund the Waterman." 
Dodoens, in 1583, was the first to call this Fern by 
the name of Osmund ; and, as Dodoens was a Fleming, 
