21 
They also said, it dries up and pines away when the grass 
fails.” The real fact of the matter is, that when other 
vegetation dies, this plant dies also. The creeping under- 
ground stem or root is covered with yellow down, like wool. 
When these stems, branching in different directions, are 
placed in an inverted position, they resemble the legs, horns, 
body, and tail of a sheep. So much for the Tartarian lamb. 
Cradled in snow and fanned by Arctic air, 
Shines, gentle Barometz, tby golden hair ; 
Booted in earth each cloven hoof descends, 
And round and round her flexile neck she bends ; 
Crops the grey coral moss and rosy thyme, 
Or laps with hoary tongue the melting rime ; 
Eyes with mute tenderness her distant dam, 
Or seems to bleat a vegetable lamb.” — Darwin. 
This family is divided into two genera. 
Genus 1. 
1. Shield-Perns. Lastrea. Cover round or kidney-formed, 
having a slit in it, and attached by the inmost point of that 
slit, (sinus.) Side-veins of leaflets distinct after leaving the 
mid-vein. 
Plate II, flg. 12. 
1. Sweet Mountain Pern. Lastrea Montana, He who 
would gather this Pern, must not remain in the lowly val- 
leys, but ascend aloft. It is called Mountain Pern because 
it thrives in more elevated situations. Beyond the regions 
of the Axe, at Pingal Bridge in Dartmoor, it thickly lines a 
rippling stream and greatly tends to beautify the scenery, 
At Lynmouth, too, that most lovely spot in North Devon, 
when we have wended our way to Watersmeet, we behold 
this odoriferous Pern in the greatest profusion. It is rather 
a scarce plant in our district. When gently squeezed, a 
sweet fragrance issues forth from the numerous glands on 
the under surface, and hence the name. With regard to 
the covers of the fruit, they are not often seen, or rather it 
would be more correct to say that they are very delicate 
and very soon fall off. The frond is pinnate, and the pinnae 
are deeply cut, (pinnatifid) more than half-way to the mid-rib. 
The leaflets or segments are rather blunt at their summit, 
oblong in form, and very slightly, if in any way notched at 
their edges. The stalk is very short and densely covered 
