13 
brancblets, as Plate I, fig. 8,* then it is said to be tri- 
pinnate. If, as in Plate I, fig. 6, the branches are deeply 
divided, but not to the mid-rib, then the frond is said to be 
nearly bipinnate. The elegance is also increased by little 
incisions or cuts on the edges of the leafiets, some resem- 
bling those of a saw (serrate), some bluntly notched, and 
others more rounded. A few have little bristles here and 
there, as in the Prickly Pern, Plate I, fig. 4. The shape 
of the leaflet should be attended to, as this gives a character 
to the plant. They are either egg-shaped, as the Adders- 
tongue, or lance-shaped, as in the Black-stalked Spleenwort, 
or oblong as the Mountain Pern, Plate I, fig. 6, or nearly 
round, as the Maidenhair Spleenwort, Plate II, fig. 12, or 
diamond-shaped, as the Wall Eue Spleenwort, Plate II, 
fig. 14, or strap-shaped, as the Hartstongue generally is. 
Sometimes they have a little lobe or projection sticking out 
on one side, as the Prickly Pern, Plate I, fig. 4. There is 
one more distinctive mark to be noticed, and that is the 
form of the entire frond. We should notice whether it be 
triangular, lance-shaped, linear, (ix, like a line) &c. Most 
of our Perns are mere herbs, scarcely any can be called 
bushes. The highest are rarely ten feet. Tree Perns are 
found in the Tropics and South Temperate Zone, while in 
the North Temperate and Prigid they are only herbaceous. 
Their geographical distribution varies. In islands it is 
great. In Jamaica 1 to 9, Iceland 1 to 18, Scotland 1 to 
31. On the Continent it is less. In Prance 1 to 63, 
Portugal 1 to 116, Egypt 1 to 971. 
CLASSIPICATION. 
Help to the Discoveet of Peehs. 
If we discover a plant which has its buds rolled in or 
coiled together, and with dusty rust-red fruit,t it is most 
probably a Pern. When we wish to search it out, we must 
particularly observe where the fructification lies. If the 
Particularly notice the lowest pinnae, t In old plants it is sometimes black. 
