DOWN A GREEN LANE / 
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mounted on their tall stems, and looking grand 
indeed in the height of their June glory. The 
lane, wide at its entrance, narrows rapidly, and at 
the distance of a stone’s-throw bends round to 
the left, and is beyond that point hid from view. 
But so green and delightful are the trees, the 
flowers, the grass, and the ferns, that your choice 
of the turning is instantly made. You feel certain 
that the lane will get more beautiful as you follow 
what you are sure will be its winding course, and 
you make for the bend where that course is hid 
from view. Look at the hedge-banks as you pass 
from the short “bit” which has been described. 
Here are no less than six species of ferns — the 
Male Fern, the Hartstongue, the Soft Prickly 
Shield Fern, and the Broad Buckler Fern growing 
out of the hedge-bank ; whilst fronds of the Poly- 
pody peep out from ivy-covered pollard trunks, 
and are sheltered by the overhanging shrubs 
which line the hedge-top. Small specimens of the 
Bracken are also here. It is perhaps because of 
the sunny aspect of the hedge-bank that the fern 
specimens are small. Following the bend of the 
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