THE POLYPODIES. 
321 
autumn, assume tlie beautiful appearance of little 
heaps of gold-dust, so richly coloured are they. 
Essentially a forest Fern is the Common Poly¬ 
pody, waving its delightful fronds aloft in forest 
tree fork's. But it has also wonderful powers of 
domestication. No Pern is so plentifully vended 
in the London streets as our Polypody; for 
Epping Forest—that delightful strip of green¬ 
wood— furnishes the plant in thousands. In 
beautiful Devonshire it grows not only on garden 
walls, but on the housetops, under cottage eaves, 
and indeed almost everywhere; and in cultivation 
it will smile refreshingly on your efforts to pre¬ 
serve it. It is, finally, though plentiful, not 
common; and though simple, it is beautiful. 
