120 
NATURE STUDY. 
November. The ease with which it may be found is in striking 
contrast with the difficulty which besets the search for Nos. 3 
and 5. These mature in the season of rankest growth of tree 
and shrub, aud being inconspicuous plants are likely to be over 
looked. In height they vary from one or two to ten or twelve 
inchs and their eolor is a light shade of green, which renders it 
difficult to distinguish from the surrounding verdure. The fer¬ 
tile portion of the leaf is erect, as in all the genus. The sterile 
portion in number three is borne near the summit of the stalk 
and has a short petiole ; in number five, the sterile portion is 
sessile at the summit of the stalk, and, as the specific name “lan- 
ceolatum ” inplies, the ulti mate segments are inclined to be 
lanceolate. The name of number three, “ matricariaefolium ” 
from a supposed resemblance of the leaf to that of a kind of 
chamomile (Matricaria). 
For the ternate grape-fern we chose a day in the middle or 
late autumn, because then not only was the plant at its best but 
the conditions were most favorable to its discovery. When we 
would find the two species under consideration we would best 
select some fine day in June, for then the later plants of number 
three and the earlier ones of number five would be likely to be 
found in fruit. We should take our way to some rich moist 
wood where leaf mould would tend to accumulate in the little 
depressions. A very good sign of a suitable habitat for these 
little ferns is the poison ivy, (Rhus radicans) and I always be¬ 
gin to look for them when I find myself surrounded by the dark 
triple leaves. Fortunately the ivy does not seriously affect me 
and I paw amongst the leaves without fear of consequences. 
In this vicinity number three is by far the most abundant, some¬ 
times hundreds of plants growing in a single station. It is not 
impossible that many of the plants hitherto called '* matricariae¬ 
folium ” may have been of the newly named species ‘ f tenebro- 
sum,” a point which the researches of the coming season ought 
to decide. Number five is usually found associated wijh number 
three but not always. 
There remains one more species to be considered, B. Virginia- 
