
          837.

change in the weather.  "If it only holds out a few hours," they said,
and "we will be glad."  It was cloudy at the time and had been partly
cloudy all morning, the paper, too, said "rain by evening."  Notwithstanding
it cleared beautifully within the next hour and remained bright as long 
as we were out.  With the sun shining, it was beautiful; the temperature
was so delightful; it felt like spring.  From M. we had gone to F.H.
and to our Lygodium place.  The fronds are still beautiful and show no
signs of the effects of winter -- the snows we have had and the intense
cold.  I observed though that the fertile portions on some of the plants
had turned quite dark.  These parts seemed more dry and brittle and no
doubt were dead, having shed their spores.  These were of a dark bronze color
as I observed by holding a piece of the fertile frond in my hand, when the heat
of my hand caused the sporangii to open.  I collected a few pieces of the
fertile fronds to take with home for experiment.  From the Lygodium place
we intended to go to the pond, but missed our way, as we soon observed
and also by, soon afterwards, coming to an abandoned charcoal burner's hut.
The earth had been washed away from the top and all the rafters were more 
or less decayed.  On a rainy day, one could with the help of an umbrella
make the hut an admirable camp.   All about are young Pine trees, which
have grown up since the clearing of the former woods.  This old hut, therefore
        