Of all the delightful plants found in my youthful rambles among the hills, there was none that roused such a sense of the mysterious and whetted the edge of search to the extent that did the Walking fern. To think that it actually migrated from year to year, was almost too much for youthful credulity. The whole genus is interesting. The common English species,S.vulgare or Hart's Tongue fern seems to have the power of endless variation in form, size and texture, and no other fern is so abnormally crested in appearance. In fact, in some of its native habitats no two leaves appear alike. The ends of the leaves in some varieties are doubly crested, giving it the appearance of a green cockscomb; others again are serrated all along the edges of the leaves. In some localities we find it in its normal type, that is, with a plain lance-shaped leaf, usually about a foot long, and (where the conditions are favorable) in great abundance. Its favorite habitat is on the north side of a limestone cliff, where the sun never shines, with sufficient moisture percolating through the crevices of the rocks to keep it constantly moist.

There is just such a place as this at Miller's Dale, in Derbyshire, England. In that dale I have seen the face of an inaccessible cliff completely clothed with this fern, many of the leaves measuring over three feet in length, as thick as a piece of leather, and of an intense dark green.

(In the shade of this fern there was also growing an abundance of the small trichominae.) Although this fern prefers the shade, it grows in many places under entirely opposite conditions; an old dry wall is one of its favorite haunts, or on the north side of a bridge, and occasionally along the hedge banks, but when found under these unfavorable conditions the leaves are much smaller, and the plant takes on that peculiar one-sided look sought after by wideawake botanists.

There are many forms of scolopendrium sufficiently interesting to be grown in a greenhouse collection ; among these may be mentioned S. crispa, S. lanceolata, S. serrafa, S. densum (one of the best), and S. cristatum. Some of the foregoing forms have a great resemblance to the Bird's Nest fern (Asplenium aphis nidus), which has the appearance of an enormous bird's nest. The abundance of dark scales at the base of each leaf gives the plant a nest-like look.

Another curious and interesting species is the Walking fern, S. rkisophyllwn, so called from its peculiar migratory habit, the detail of which is indicated in the illustration. This was formerly abundant in the neighborhood of Passaic Falls, New Jersey. The end of each leaf of this species carries with it an embryo plant; when the mature leaf decays, or by accident falls over, the young plant immediately takes root, and in course of time goes through the same process as its parent, and by that means is capable of clothing a large area with their dark green leathery leaves. While not "showy"

Scolopendrium Vulgare Cristatum

Scolopendrium Vulgare Cristatum or of especial beauty, the whole process of reproduction in this fern is extremely interesting to the true nature lover, who will watch its gradual progress with that keen delight which always rewards the searcher into the wonders of plant-growth. When growing these quaint ferns, it should be borne in mind that none of them are of any use to cut for florist's use; they soon wilt, and are not at all handsome for use as single fronds, but a lover of plants will always find a place and use for them, in that part of his planting which is done for the individual interest and charm of the subjects. If he succeeds as well as one collector did, who, wishing to keep intruders off his premises, had a notice posted on his garden path to this effect, "Tramps, beware ! scolopendriums and adiantums are planted here !" even the formidable name will have been of some use.

There are thus many quaint and often delicately beautiful forms of plant growth which appear only to the botanist, because he only is apt to look be-yong the plants of the "catalogue trade".

Samuel Henshaw.