94 
THE FERN PAEADISE. 
mens in the darkest and dampest corners. Xo 
Fern shuns the light more than the graceful and 
beautiful Asjolenium adiantum-nigmim. It is a 
great favourite of ours, and cannot, indeed, fail to 
be admired by all Fern lovers. It is hardy too, 
and will well repay in cultivation a very small 
amount of care and attention. 
It is astonishing how many delightful green 
lanes abut on to the high roads in Devonshire : 
lanes so temptingly beautiful that you feel you 
cannot pass without exploring them for, at least, 
some little distance. We espied such a lane when, 
on the road we are describing, we reached the top 
of the hill, on the other side of which lies Staverton 
Bridge. This lane turns out of the road on the 
right, and we explored it for a short distance. 
A few yards from the entrance a bend in the 
lane hid its further course from view. But the 
peep just where it disappeared was charming. 
The overhanging trees, the lovely hedge-banks, 
and the carpeting of grass and wild flowers— 
all lent a peculiar and shadowy grace to the 
vista between, forming what may not inappro¬ 
priately be styled a sort of verdant twilight. On 
