332 
OSMUNDACE^. 
OsMUNDA REGALis, Liiineus. 
This noble fern is so generally distributed over the British 
Islands that I forbear from publishing the immense list of loca- 
lities with which 1 have been furnished through the kindness of 
correspondents. In Ireland, particularly in Connaught, it is 
most abundant : in Cunnemara I have often observed it covering 
the small islands in the lakes with a dense mass of its luxuriant 
fronds, those in the centre being more erect, those round the 
margins more pendulous. Of the pendulous habit I noticed a 
beautiful instance at Killarney, where it completely fringes the 
river between the lakes, and certainly forms a most prominent 
feature in that lovely but neglected portion of Killarney’s far- 
famed scenery. So altered is the usual character of this fern, 
that its long fronds arch gracefully over, and dip their masses 
of seed in the crystal water, while the saucy coots, from beneath 
the canopy it affords them, gaze fearlessly on the visitors who 
are continually passing by. One of the boatmen employed by 
Sir Walter Scott, on the occasion of his visit to Killarney, told 
me that Sir Walter scarcely uttered a syllable in praise of the 
scenery until he came to this spot ; and here he stopped the 
rowers, and exclaimed, “ This is worth coming to see 1 ” The 
boatman evidently thought very meanly of Sir Walter’s opinion, 
whom he considered in duty bound to be in raptures with the 
lakes and mountains. I do not wonder at the great man’s taste : 
to me it appeared the most wonderfully beautiful spot I had 
ever beheld, and this beauty is mainly owing to the immense 
size and number of these pendant fronds. In the Island of 
Achill it often fringes the little streams which descend from tlie 
mountains, rarely however rising above -their water- worn chan- 
nels, and thus escaping the violence of the mountain winds : in 
a sheltered farm in the possession of Mr. Long it has forsaken 
these water- courses and established itself in the fields, where he 
found it a troublesome weed, and very difficult to eradicate. I 
was amused to see it towering over his cabbages and potatoes, 
and intermixed with his oats and wheat. In Scotland this beau- 
tiful plant is also common, and often grows to a gigantic size : 
