NATURE STUDY. 
A MONTHLY BULLETIN OF THE 
Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences. 
Vol. I. OCTOBER, 1900. No. 5. 
Ferns and Fern Allies. 
BY FREDERICK W. BATCHELDER. 
One day early in September I walked out to my station of 
elder-leaved mountain ash (Sorbus sambucifolia) hoping to find 
the little trees at last in fruit. No fruit had been developed, 
however, and I had to be content with leaves, nothing but 
leaves.” Near by is a wood composed largely of white pines, 
where I have in former years occasionally found interesting 
plants. On entering this wood I was dismayed at the sight pre¬ 
sented, for fire had swept through the entire tract and desola¬ 
tion reigned. Owing to the severity of the drought, the flames, 
rioting through the thick mat of pine needles, had struck down 
deep into the soil so that the roots of the pines had been 
charred and many of the old trees were tottering to their fall. 
Some, indeed, had fallen and the next gale will bring down 
many more. I was on the point of turning back and visiting 
some unscathed locality when it occurred to me that it might be 
interesting to observe what plants, if any, had survived the 
ordeal of fire. A glance through the wood showed here and 
there scanty flecks of greenery, These proved to be located 
