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BRITISH FERNS. 
and flourishing especially in the neighbourhood of water- 
falls. It is an elegant fern, making a charming minia- 
ture landscape in contrast with moss, wild flowers, and 
the stumps of underwood. It grows freely in w 7 oods, 
among the highlands of Scotland, the dales of Yorkshire 
and Derbyshire, and the combes of Somersetshire. 
Mr. Lowe describes a variety of the Beech-fern found 
in a lane very near to Ambleside. The soil there is 
damp, and the bank pretty high. The fern is irregular 
in its divisions, many of the lobes of the pinnse being 
frequently and deeply divided. The variety does not 
seem to have been found elsewhere. The near neigh- 
bourhood of Stpck-ghyll Force proves that the moisture 
so much loved by every variety of the Beech-fern is 
within reach, and if any doubt remained, Mr. Lowe’s 
assertion of the presence of Primula farinosa on the 
same bank would prove to us the dampness of the situa- 
tion. Mr. Newman has changed the name of this and 
the two following Polypods to Gymnocarpum, separating 
them on account of their creeping caudex, but we follow 
the example of Sir William Hooker in retaining the 
familiar name. 
The Beech-fern is one of the most desirable ferns for 
cultivation, and flourishes well when the ground is well 
prepared for it. A shady situation is a sine qua non ; 
when in a wild state it dwindles to an unhealthy size if 
its shelter is withdrawn, and in cultivation it declines 
life altogether if exposed to sun and wind. 
Mr. Johnson recommends that the ground intended 
for the future home of the fern should be excavated to 
the depth of one foot. At the bottom a thick layer of 
bog-moss should be placed, then a layer of porous stone, 
broken crocks, etc., leaving six inches to be filled with a 
