THE ROYAL FERN 
153 
by the taller forms and the darker shade of the 
trees on its banks ! A few moments more, and 
we have, in following our narrow path, lost the 
outside view. We are now, in fact, away from 
the sunlight, and under the shade of the tall 
and graceful trees of a coppice. Oh, delightful 
coolness ! Beneath our feet, soft velvety turf of 
glorious golden green ! Above, the tall tree-tops 
screening the sunlight and checkering the blue 
sky ! 
But the Osmunda — the stately, the beautiful 
Osmunda ! We are close upon its habitat. The 
fern abounds in lovely Devonshire, and fringes 
the banks of the Dart, and we are now within 
sight of that river. We turn from the cop- 
pice along a narrow winding path, and as we 
proceed onward the sound of rushing water 
strikes on our ear ! Now screening branches 
deepen the shadows on our way, until presently 
the light comes in upon our path through the 
tangled shrubs on our right. Putting these on 
one side and brushing into their midst, we soon 
find ourselves on the rivers brink. Then we 
