32 
The ear is disciplined by music, the hand by the nice touch, 
as in the case of the blind, so is the eye by scanning, even 
in little things, the varying course of nature’s works. Surely 
it is most desirable that we should not be insensible to the 
regular order and nice distinctions which our great Creator 
has maintained in every portion of the vegetable creation, 
from “the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that groweth on 
the wall.” Grod has given us our sight to turn it to a useful 
account, and to discriminate all His works, and to find out 
“how in wisdom He hath made them all.” 
The old books, for the same reasons as were mentioned 
in the preceding species, do not speak of this plant. With 
regard to its cifitivation, it requires a light sandy or peat 
soil. It needs even more water than the Hay-scented Pern, 
(Lastrea fBenisecii) and should never have a bright glaring 
sun. Nature speaks for itself, when we notice how it grows 
in wet shady woods, in a loose crumbling soil. 
We have only found this in two places, in a wet copse 
not far from Avishays House, near Chard, and in a boggy 
wood on the nortb-west side of TJplyme parish. A friend 
also mentions Langmoor wood, near Charmouth. 
Newman gives it the name of Lophodium spinosum, and 
Prancis designates it Aspidium spinulosum ; Moore calls it 
Lastrea cristata mr, spinulosa ; Hooker, Nephrodium spinu- 
losum mr, bipinnatum. 
Genus 2. 
Prickly Perns. FolysticTia, Cover circular, attached by 
the centre, and free at the edges. Pirst upper leaflet larger 
than the next, and also than the one immediately below it. 
The little bristles on the leaflets of this tribe sufficient!}'- 
show why they have the English name of Prickly Perns. 
The classical name, signifying “many ranks,” was probably 
given because the l3ack of the frond is covered with dense 
masses of fructification. The chief distinction between this 
and the Shield Perns (Lastrea) is that the covers have no 
slit, and are attached by their centre. Though the species 
differ much in their form and appearance, and though there 
are many varieties, all the leaflets have, more or less, on the 
side opposite tbe main rachis, a little lobe technically called 
an ear or auricle. Smith and others used to unite the 
