THE PERN PARADISE. 
tors believe, its abundance lias remained, as yet, 
the secret of some, probably, inaccessible locali- 
ties. 
The present species might somewhat appro- 
priately be likened in a general way to small 
specimens of Asplenium lanceolatum. The fronds 
are of an average length of some four or five 
inches, bright green in colour, and thick in texture. 
They have short, dark, purplish stems, their leafy 
portions being narrowly lance-shaped, tapering 
to their bases as well as to their apices. The tiny 
branches of the frond are placed in alternation 
along on each side of the rachis, and are furnished 
with alternately-placed triangular or four-sided 
lobes, which are deeply and sharply incised, the 
incisions giving a beautifully serrated appearance 
to the lobes. 
Under green-house cultivation the fronds of 
this beautiful little Fern will sometimes attain a 
length of tw r elve inches. The soil for growing it 
should be sandy loam and leaf-mould ; and small 
pieces of soft, broken stone should be mixed with 
the compost, the root-stock of Fontanum being 
placed between little blocks of the stone. It is a 
