FERNY RAMBLES IN SOUTH DEVON. 49 
is the moist atmosphere produced by the flowing 
water underneath which gives encouragement to 
the ferns. Sometimes a river arch is densely 
covered with many varieties of ferns. You will often 
find the Polypody, the Hartstongue, the Wall- 
rue, the Scaly Spleenwort, the common Maidenhair 
Spleenwort, the Black Maidenhair Spleenwort, 
growing together on bridge sides. But the speci- 
mens of Hartstongue are invariably diminutive 
when growing on walls, rocks, or bridge arches. 
The Black Maidenhair Spleenwort, unquestionably 
one of the most beautiful of the fern family, is also 
usually found to be stunted when growing on the 
bare open side of a rock, wall, or bridge arch. 
It nevertheless delights in stones ; but then the 
stones and rocks must be in the shade, and 
covered by overhanging bushes. A little way 
from the stone bridge already mentioned, on the 
road between Totnes and Ashburton, in the slate 
rock side of a hedge-bank, we caught sight of a 
tuft of the Black Maidenhair, growing in a con- 
spicuous position. We felt persuaded that other 
specimens would be near. One portion of the slate 
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