RUE-LEAVED SPLEENWORT. 149 
seeds, turned back, and finally lost, the back of the 
pinnule becoming eventually nearly covered by a 
dense, dark-brown mass of seed. 
The Wall Rue is generally distributed over the con- 
tinent of Europe, preferring towns and buildings to the 
Open country. I have also specimens from North 
America. Throughout the northern, western and — 
‘southern counties of England, and also in Wales, 
Scotland and Ireland, this fern is to be found on almost 
every ruin; but, as regards England, far less abun- 
dantly in the eastern than in the western counties. In 
a perfectly wild state, it grows abundantly on the rocky 
hills in Scotland, particularly on Arthur's Seat, near 
Edinburgh ; in the Peak district of Derbyshire; on 
Cader Idris and Snowdon more Appmind dl is one of 
those plants which, like our half ti birds, the 
Sparrow, the swallow and the martin, seem to have 
deserted their native wilds, and to have taken up their 
_ Yesidence amongst the habitations of men. It is 
abundant on ruins and old churches, and has a strong 
- predilection for brick walls, notwithstanding Sir J. E. 
_ Smith, on the authority of Ray, expresses a different — 
ar filling the interstices of brick buildings: we 
‘wander no further from London than Greenwich — 
ark sie see it growing abundantly upon bricks; and 
ing can be more common than to see it on the 
