46 THE IMITATION, IN CLOSED CASES, OF 
atmosphere of the Southern hemisphere, where 
arborescent ferns extend, not only to New Zea- 
land and Van Dieman’s Land, but even to the 
Straits of Magellan, and to Campbell Islands, or 
to a latitude almost corresponding to that of 
Berlin in the Northern hemisphere. 
Nothing would be easier than to fulfil the above 
conditions in the court-yards of London. For 
the growth of ferns generally, it would, most pro- 
bably, be advantageous to glaze the houses with 
the tinted glass recommended by Mr. Hunt, and 
used in the great Palm-house at Kew. It might 
likewise be requisite to use blinds in hot weather. 
In any such large house, filled with British or 
Tropical forms of vegetation, fish and birds, and 
other animals, might be introduced to enliven the 
scene. 
To return to th eTrichomanes : the mode of plant- 
ing, which I had previously adopted, had been to 
secure it firmly on sandstone or other porous 
stone (upon pieces of which it delights to grow), 
and to fill the interspaces with about equal por- 
tions of white sand and peat earth. I should now, 
however, follow the plan recommended by Mr. 
Callwell. The species of Hymenophyllum, upon 
which I next experimented, require to be treated 
in a similar manner, and to be liberally supplied 
with water. Neither the Trichomanes nor the 
