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INDISPENSABLE HANDY BOOKS.

BRITISH FEEXS AND MOSSES

DESCSIEIHC THEIK

anii spirits,

FORMS AND USES

NUMEROUS PICTUltiAI. REPRESENTATIONS.

Ye green ferns and flowers,

Belov'd in past hours, Ere the younj* heart had yielded its gladness ;

We gaze on you still

By the gush of the rill, In the depth of our spirit's lone sadness.

LONDON : WARD & LOCK, 158, FLEET .STREET.

M DCCC LXI.

PREFACE.

HAVING derived so much pleasure from the pursuit of Ferns and Mosses — so much gratification while roaming amidst the homes and haunts of these beautiful objects — I have been induced to contribute my experiences to the series of "Indispensable Handy Books."

Not all the elegancies of Potichimanie, Diaphany, Knitting, Netting, and Crochet, ever offered so much to the light fingers of the fair sex as a few cases of Ferns; and no amateur gardener ever found a fairer field for his enterprise than a Fern-bank, or a collection of Ferns in pots. A few years since none but enthusiastic Botanists paid any attention to them, and fewer still had attempted their domestication for purposes of study and ornament. Now we find them in windows, in gardens,, and even in the dark front areas of town dwellings.

PKEFACE.

Still, Ferns arc not to be grown with as much ease as geraniums; they are tender plants, and want -careful culture and nursing, but they will soon repay their cost in glorious displays of beauty. But there is no mystery about them. The greater number of our native species can be made to • thrive and increase with a very moderate attention, provided it be of the right sort ; and we shall here enumerate such particulars as will enable any person fond of Ferns and Mosses to maintain a respectable collec- lion at but little cost, cither of time or money.

HANDY BOOK

BRITISH FERNS AND MOSSES.

JANUARY.

WHY is it that folks care not for green mosses, Except to pack their crates ? "Why do enthusiasts Pore for sea- weeds until their eyes grow weak, Beneath stern beetling crags, by rushing waves, With no small peril, or of life or limb, Yet pass unheeding by this lowly tribe, The meekest of Earth's children ?

FEKXS are not yet unfolded. Our attention must there- fore be directed to the brotherhood of mosses, those unas- suming yet peerless members of a large community, grow- ing in lanes and woods, or beside dripping rocks, uninjured by wind, storm, or frost.

Look upon a bank of mosses when a sudden gleam of sunshine lights up the wintry landscape, and a soft south wind has caused a sudden thaw ! beautiful are they in their freshness and luxuriance ; in their greenness too, for mosses retain their verdure at all seasons. A few ice- spangles may gem their leaves, but these begin to melt, and their most exquisite ramifications remain uninjured, even by the heavy pressure of frozen snow.

Mosses were ever my delight ! they grew on the roots of our old fantastic beech-trees, beside many a clear stream that gushed from out some cavernous recess, and went

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2 HANDY BOOK OF

singing through the valley, in rocky lanes, and far tip the precipitous sides of old stone quarries on the village common.

Oh ! the modest "beauty of those mosses ! They rise before my mental view in all their variety and vividness — visions of by-gone days ! I well remember every stone and rill, all brakes and glens, where best they grew ; one deep lone vale especially, beside the old road that led from Stroud to Cheltenham, where Tradition lingers with her haunting tales, telling that fierce Danes and Saxons con- tended there in mortal fray — and hence its dolorous name of Dudcombe : but a lovelier spot the sun, perhaps, never shone upon ; with its streams and trees, its sunny spaces covered with short herbage, and its wild rocky banks, where huge masses of lichen-dotted stones jutted forth among ferns and brambles.

Botanists speak much concerning the Poppy tribe. They point to the head while growing, and the rigid curvature in the upper part of the stem, which gives it a position impenetrable by rain or moisture. But not less wonderful is the formation of the common Hair-moss (PolytricJnun commune), which grew profusely beside our streams, occa- sionally on the summit of high hills ; for such plants as affect marshy localities abound also on places where clouds settle, from which they derive sufficient humidity for the purposes of vegetable life. It is found therefore far up the Lapland Alps, in company with others of its kind, on the verge of perpetual snow, and in the desolate wilderness of Lychselle Lapland, among woods or beside torrents, spread- ing like a carpet over dry open spaces, the resort of rein- deer. Many a Lapland family, who perambulate from place to place during the short-lived summer, seek out spots abounding with the Great Hair-moss, and it forms for them both bed and bedding. They trace out a circumference with their knives, and readily separate the tangled roots from the meagre soil on which they grow ; this done, they spread

FEEXS

MOSSES.

out the soft and elastic moss to dry in the hot sun, and. having obtained a piece of the same size for a coverlid, they tranquilly lie down to rest amid those wondrous solitudes, •where the sun, after a momentary setting in glory above the horizon, recommences his ceaseless course.

COMMON HAIR-MOSS.

The formation of the capsule is equally curious with that of the poppy. It is covered with an-elegantly shaped umbrella, such as Titania might carry in her hand ; when the seeds ripen, the small cords that kept the umbrella in its place begin to loosen, some sportive zephyr jerks it in playful mood from off the capsule, and down it falls upon the earth. The stem then gradually bends, the straight stalk forms a curvature, and the seed-vessel being reversed, empties its seeds as from a pitcher.

Thus wonderfully is the moss constructed. Linnaeus was, perhaps, the first who observed . its conformation, when, journeying in quest of plants, he came into the savage wil-

4 HANDY BOOK OF

derness where it overspread the ground in patches — the haunts of hears, who slept soundly on this couch of Nature's making, and of innumerahle hirds, who filled the woods with melody, and chiefly built their nests with the finest portions of this useful moss.

"The fanner talks of grasses and of grain, The sailor tells you stories of the main."

"It is therefore no wonder," says Linnaeus, in his cele- hrated Oration at Upsal, when recurring to the dangers he had passed through while exploring the wildest regions of the North, " that I chose to make travelling in mine own " country the subject of my discourse. Every one thinks well of what belongs to himself, and every one has pleasures peculiar to himself. I have on foot passed over the frosty mountains of Lapland in quest of plants ; I have clambered up the craggy ridges of Norland, and wandered amid its almost impenetrable woods. I have made excursions into the forests of Dalecarlia, the groves of Gothland, the heaths of Smoland, and the trackless wastes of Scania. Truly there is scarcely a part of Sweden which I have not crawled through and examined, yet not without great fatigue of mind and body. My journey to Lapland was an under- taking of immense labour; but the love of truth and grati- tude towards the Supreme Being constrains me to acknow- ledge, that no sooner were my travels finished than a pleasant oblivion of past suffering came upon me, and I was richly rewarded by the inestimable advantages which I gained from my labours."

Thus spoke the great Linnscus with respect to the benefit which a man derives from travelling in his own country ; and his remarks may well apply to the pleasures that are within the reach of all who seek to become acquainted with the natural objects by which they are surrounded.

How many, ignorant concerning the ferns and mosses that grow near them, complain that the country is dull in

FEHNS AND MOSSES. 5

winter ! they hear of rich collections in Natural History, and are discontented -with their lot ; though many a rare plant, which men have brought with toil and hazard from far-oft' regions, is inferior to such as grow beside our paths at home. Go, then, into the woods and lanes, and collect those beautiful mosses, which strike their tiny roots into a thin soil, which root themselves in the crevices of large stones, or may be often seen through clear falling waters, that stream over the projecting rocks, beneath the arch of which they grow luxuriantly. I have gathered many such in days long past, and often look upon them with great pleasure, wondering that those who peril life and limb in obtaining sea-weeds, beside the roar of ocean, or among rock basins, or climb hi<fh cliffs in search of plants, should never think of collecting mosses. And yet mosses are beautiful and varied — the first, as regards their exquisite ramifications and often brilliant tints ; the second, because no two of them are alike, though growing side by side, beneath the spray of the same fountain, or cherished by vapours ascending from the same damp soil.

Such plants have a prescribed use — not obvious, perhaps, but real. Like flowers, that successively emerge from out the earth, they each present a home, or storehouse, to some wayfaring insect ; small birds select the finest kinds for their nests, and often feed upon the seeds that ripen, abun- dantly at all seasons. The Bog-moss (Junyermanniii), covers deep bogs with its spongy substance, and thus, by continual decay and renovation, produces abundance of vegetable mould, and turns them by degrees into fertile meadows. The loosely-matted patches are used for burn- ing ; and in many mining districts are in great request for forges.

The Long-stalked Earth-moss (Musci phascum) is a beacon-plant. If, in passing, its rich chesnut-red fruit- stalks and capsules are seen emerging from out a bed of verdure, you may fancy that a soft voice says to you, —

6 HAKDr BOOK OF

" This is the field of the sluggard ; it has lain untilled for at least two years. ' Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep : so shall his poverty come as one that travelleth, and his want as an armed man.' " (Prov. vi. 10.)

" Of rills and fountains, guardian maid,"

the elegant and often-floating Greater Water-moss delights in humid places. The generic name, Fontinalis, designates her station among fresh springs and rivulets ; the specific one has a local meaning, yet, true to the former appellation, this small moss is found on rocks and the roots of trees, in brooks and rivulets, slow streams and ponds, but most espe- cially beside cataracts, flourishing' luxuriantly, where the roar of headlong waters and their turmoil is greatest. Hence the Water-moss thrives well in Sweden, and was associated by Linnseus with many a legend-haunted spot. The .natives collect large quantities, with which to fill up the spaces between their large chimneys and the walls of their houses ; and thus, by excluding the air, to prevent the action of fire. The specific name was given in refer- ence to this valuable quality. Pale reddish tufts of the Conferva, nana may occasionally be seen attached to this species in alpine rivers.

Those who feel strongly within them the " ardent inex- tinguishable thirst of nature," which Cowper well describes, and who, remembering the mosses they loved in childhood, would again seek for such beside the hum of the great city, may find the Lesser Water-moss (F. minor] growing abun- dantly on. the walls of Lambeth Palace, fronting the Thames. Vainly, Tiowever, would they seek for the F. squamosa ; of this the long and branched shoots uniformly float in the direction of whatever stream it affects ; the dark-g-rccn leaves become black when dry, and the whole plant itself assumes siich a glistening appearance that Bauhin applied to it the epithet lucens.

FE1LKS AND :UOSS1>. 7

Xor yet has tlic Feathered Watcr-inosg (F. pennata], nor the Hair-like (F. cajnlhicca), neither the Alpine (F. alpina], nor even the Lateral (F. secunda), been discovered in the neighbourhood of London, except in some old apple-orchard. The first, extremely rare, is assigned to the trunk of trees ; it is mentioned by Mr. "Drummond, in his "History of Britisli Mosses," as growing on a beech-tree at Tothering- ton, near Forfar ; the second embellishes the stony banks of many an alpine rivulet in Scotland and Wales. Bota- nists may find it beside the gushing rills of the pass of Llanberris, within sight of Dolbaden's ruined tower ; the third clusters, as already mentioned, on trees in orchards, and draws nearer to the vicinity of man than either the Hair-like or Alpine.

The Leafy Buxbaumia (B. foliosa) must not be passed unnoticed. This plant, of frequent occurrence, especially in mountainous and open places, visited by the purest air of heaven, was named by Linnaeus in honour of Dr. Bux- baum, a distinguished botanist, who sought out and enu- merated such plants as grew around his native city Hoi, in the Tyrol. Its relative, the Leafless Buxbaumia (13. apliyllti}, may be often discovered among fir-trees. This most sin- gular of mosses can scarcely be said to have any stems ; all that might be so called resemble a small bulb, covered with hair-like processes, but which, when highly magnified, are found to be true leaves, membranaceous, comparable to beautiful net- work, yet so narrow and minute as to be quite overlooked, or described merely as hairs. The whole moss is not an inch high ; it presents a striking appearance when growing among others of the kind, being of a red colour.

The blood-coloured, or Obtuse-leaved Gland-moss (Splach- num vasculosuni) is the finest and most beautiful of all Bri- tish mosses ; the fruit -stalk is one inch and a half highr upright and red, the receptacle large, spear-shaped, of a bright sanguineous hue, the fringe composed of eight minute

8 HANDY BOOK OF

teeth, in pairs. Alpine tourists speak of it as growing in bogs, and on the pointed masses of high storm- rifted moun- tains, such as Ben Lomond, and in extended patches as on Ben Lawers, and the Clova mountains.

Another of the same family deserves hrief mention. This is the purple Bottle or Gland-moss (S. ampullaceum), which localizes on bogs and marshes, often also on cow's manure ; growing about Ichen' Ferry near Southampton, at West "Wickham, Addington near Croydon, Geldestone Fen, Bun- gay, and Suffolk. Ray mentions the second locality in his " Synopsis of British Plants ;" the association of his name with a species still sought by modern botanists in the same lone spot, invests it with no small interest. Kor less attractive is it when found in a tributary stream north of Tyfry, between that place and Hendref, in Anglesea, in. place where Druids dwelt, and where traces of their foot- steps were found till lately, among circles of unhewn stones and cromlechs ; this place is mentioned by Mr. Davies as well deserving the attention of all botanists, whether in quest of plants or mosses, and also in each season of the year. The veil is exquisitely bell-shaped, the receptacle large, and resembling an inverted decanter with a convex lid; and the fruit -stalks, two or three inches long, are beautifully crimsoned. By attending to these character- istics the youngest botanist may identify the Purple Bottle- moss, which ripens its capsules in July.

Others of the same family occupy spongy ground, or moist places in alpine rocky districts, near Llyn Idwell, Carnar- vonshire ; or on Ben Lawers in the Highlands. Among these, the Tongue-leaved Gland-moss (S. lingulatum], with deeply indented leaves formed into cavities, and variable fruit-stalk of a deep red, has attracted much attention, both for its rarity and the difficulty of determining its genus. It was first discovered in Scotland by Mr. Dixon, and since on Ben Lawers and Ben Lomond by two brother botanists; afterwards by Professor Hooker in muddy de-

FEKNS AND MOSSES. 9

clivities at the foot of Ben Cruachan, between Craigalleach and Meal-greadha, where it grew profusely, and afforded, in a tine August morning, a spectacle such as few muscolo- gists have had the privilege of witnessing.

The beautiful Fraelichian Gland-moss (S, freelicUianurri)j with its fruit-stalk pale towards the summit, of a fine pink colour near the base, was first identified as a native moss by Mrs. Griffith, who found it on the eastern side of Snow- don, about two hundred yards from the highest elevation.

Look carefully for the Bryum-like Feather-moss (Hyp- mtm bryoides}. You may easily find it in shady places, woods, and ditch-banks, though very small; and this because of its capsules, which are edged at the mouth with a deep red fringe ; the leaves are green, though not pellucid, and the reddish fruit-stalks issue nearly at the end of the shoots. The authors of " Systematic English Botany" have in their possession specimens of this little plant, gathered by the adventurous Mungo Park in the interior of Africa. He had preserved them with great care, and there is reason to believe that they formed the identical species to which he so feelingly referred when speaking of his own utter helplessness, and the powerful effect produced on his mind by observing the minute construction of this small plant. "I was very much cast down," he said, "and was be- ginning to despair, yet not without reason, for I was then in the midst of a wild country, ranged over by savage animals, and by men still more savage, five hundred miles from the nearest European settlement ; and, considering my fate as certain, I was ready to lie down and die." At this moment the extraordinrry beauty of a small moss irresistibly caught his eye, and though unspeakably depressed, he could not look upon the delicate formation of its leaves and capsules without admiration. A train of soothing thoughts arose within him, and a consciousness that his Heavenly Father, who had thus called into being and preserved the tiny vegetable, beneath a burning sky,

10 HANDY BOOK OF

and on an arid soil, would not desert an helpless traveller — one whom He had made in His own image. Thus re-assured the narrator went on his way, trusting that relief was at hand, and he was not disappointed.

. Why is it that this small species, which affects our shady woods and ditch-banks, should grow in Africa — that land of cloudless skies and springless deserts ? There are problems in Natural History which the most learned cannot solve.

The blunt, fern-like Feather-moss (Hypnum trichoma- noides], indigenous on the roots of trees, and in ditches among woods, may be easily recognized by observing a remarkable curvature in the scimitar -shaped leaf — a peculiarity belonging exclusively to this species.

Few perhaps among our native tribes add more to the picturesque effect of weather-beaten masses of rock or stone than the H. Ilattcri, or Hallerian Feather-moss, dis- covered by Dr. Greville on Ben Lawers. This plant creeps closely on its growing-place, in diffused tufts, of a rich yellowish or reddish-brown colour, and is sometimes pleasingly contrasted with the "Waved Feather-moss (P. undulatum), an exquisitely fine species, about a span long, and of which the leaves are white and membranous. The Undulatum mostly affects woods and shady places ; it is ftnind also on Snowdon, and when closely examined, exhibits a beautiful variety of tints in its component parts. The fruit is long, slender, reddish ; the veil straw-coloured, with a brown spot at the end ; rib of each shoot yellowish ; and the leaves tender, pellucid, smooth, shiny, and pale green.

Nor less attractive is the reddish Shining Feather-moss (II. rufescens), which thrives best where the torrent is foaming. Its favourite locality is, therefore, the wet rocks in the Highlands of Scotland, and nowhere is it more abundant than on the perpendicular cliffs that start abruptly by the falls of Moness.

AND MOSSES. . li

The Squirrel-tailed Feather-moss (//. sciuroidcs) thus named from its numeious upright branches, simple and divided, and curving gracefully toward the points like that of the common squirrel, affords an interesting instance of restricted location. It is often found adhering to old trees ; and though frequent in this country, is rare in Scotland, Intermoriston being its most northern habitation.

Years have passed away since I gathered from rock or stream side — from off the village common or old trees — specimens which have been treasured carefully, and still look beautiful. I recently opened them, and vividly did they bring before my mental view long -remembered scenes when life was new, and the future seemed as an unli- mited horizon. I thought while looking at them of the pleasure which they had given me in their collection, and I could not help wishing that those whose attention during their summer and autumn rambles has been directed to sea-weeds and flowers, may go forth into the woods and lanes in this dull month, and derive from mosses equal instruction and delight.

FEBRUARY.

" MOSSES are Nature's children, no one carelh To make green merchandize of them ; and yet Nor sea-weeds, nor loved ferns, that quivering cast Their shadows, or on rock, by rippling stream, Or 'mid the wide heath, may compete with some That I have gather'd."

MOSSES are of considerable consequence in the vegetable world. The mould which they deposit rarely exceeds an inch in depth, and yet that small deposit is frequently all- . important ; their roots also, closely matted, and occasionally

12 HANDY BOOK OF

entangled with one another, serve to protect the rocks on which they grow from the effects of frost — from changes likewise consequent on the disengagement of carbonic acid gas — from fissures eyen in granite rocks, as in the neigh- bourhood of Clermont, in Auvergne. These changes, called by Dolomieu "la maladie du granite," resemble the dry-rot in wood, for the hardest blocks become soft, and readily crumble in the hand. Where, however, mosses assert their empire, the effect is neutralized by their ab- sorption of the otherwise injurious carbonic acid, according to the well-known fact, that when two gasses of different specific gravities are brought into contact, even though the heaviest be the lowermost, they soon become uniformly diffused, by mutual absorption, through the whole space. By virtue of this law the heavy carbonic acid finds its way upwards in the lighter air of the atmosphere, and conveys nourishment to the tiniest moss or lichen which grows on the mountain-top.

In regions, on the contrary, where devastating torrents of rain fall suddenly, their transporting power is counteracted by a greater luxuriance of vegetation. A geologist, who carefully explored many parts of the tropical regions, observes, with reference to the fitness of all plants for the places they occupy, that tho softer rocks would speedily be washed away in such portions of the globe, if the roots of parasitic and creeping plants were not so entwined as to present considerable resistance to the direct action of heavy rain. Unlike their forest brethren whose giant arms are vainly spread forth as if to repel the coming storm, and which are often hurled by its fury from stations in which they have stood for ages, the plants of which we speak serve to shoot off the fast-falling stream, and again lift up their heads when returning sunbeams light the dripping landscape. Mosses, in like manner, are not affected by running water, even if mountain springs assume in winter the character of copious floods, and rush impetuously over them.

KERNS AND MOSSES. 13

The adaptation of plants to their respective positions, and the effects which their decay and renovation pro- gressively occasion, are beautifully exemplified in the Bog- moss (Sphagnum}.

This plant is fully developed in peaty swamps, and becomes, like the heath, a social plant ; or, in other words, it obtains exclusive possession of the ground, and lives in society. Such monopolies, however, are happily of rare occurrence, being checked by various causes ; for not only are many species endowed with equal powers of appro- priating similar stations, but each plant, for reasons not yet fully ascertained, renders the soil where it has grown less fitted for the support of ' ' other individuals of its own species, or even other species of the same family." Yet the tract, though occupied, it may be, by two or three usurping brotherhoods — who, to the exclusion of many others, are enabled throughout long periods to maintain their ground successfully against intruders, if even impoverishing it for themselves — is yet, by an irrefragable law of nature, im- proved for plants of another family. The tract thus appro- priated may be an extensive moor, or a lofty mountain ; a sandy waste, or well- watered plain ; subject to equal diversity of soil or climate : still the operating causes which enable certain plants to maintain their ground against all others is equally developed, and the effects are everywhere the same. Oaks, for instance, render the sites whereon they grow more fertile for the fir tribe, and firs prepare the soil for the reception of acorns or sapling oaks, which thrive well. Every agriculturist, as Lyell justly observes in his " Prin- ciples of Geology," feels the force of this law of the organic world, and regulates accordingly the rotation of his crops.

The Bog-moss above mentioned, instead of deteriorating its place of growth, seems to have thrown a mantle over vast denuded tracts and unpeopled regions, preserving many a giant oak or pine that would otherwise have crumbled to

11 HAXDY BOOK OF

dust ; a way-mark, too, indicating traces of forgotten men, or implements of husbandry, and affording to the botanist and antiquary subjects of the deepest interest. This species constitues a considerable porticn of all such peat as abounds in the marshes of ^Northern Europe. Peat may consist of any among the numerous plants that thrive best in moist situations, where the temperature is low, and vegetables decompose without putrefying — but the Sphafft&trn is by far the most abundant, in some portions nearly to the exclusion of all others, and possessing the singular property of throw- ing up new shoots in the upper part, while the extremities are decaying. "Whenever, therefore, woods have been destroyed by fire — large trees uprooted by sudden storms of wind — or tracts of once cultivated land made desolate — embankments broken down, and marshes usurping the place of fertilizing streams — the Bog-moss rapidly takes root and flourishes.

In warm climates all decaying timber is presently re- moved by insects : termites and beetles with boring instru- ments set to work ; they perforate the wood in all directions, and when their ministry is accomplished, winds disperse the fragments to incredible distances. It is otherwise in the cold temperature that prevails in our latitudes, and numerous examples are on recotd of the usurping powers of Bog-moss ; of its beneficial results also, and antiseptic property.

Thus, in Mars Forest, as related by Dr. Eennie, large trunks of patriarchal firs, which had fallen through ex- treme old age, were soon grown over by this friendly plant. We learn, also, that a sudden tornado having overthrown a considerable forest near Lochbroom, in Ross-shire, about the middle of the seventeenth century, its site was 69 quickly concealed from the same cause, that in about fifty years the inhabitants obtained peat. A similar instance is remembered with regard to the wood of Drumlanrig, in Dumfriesshire ; and old men tell their children, beside the

PEltXS AND MOSSES. 15

winter peat-fire, that stately trees once grew wliere their fuel is now procured ; they speak of the roaring winds and furious rains that drove, against the old wood, and how, when warm in their beds, young children — as they then were — they trembled to hear the bellowing of the storm, and the crashing of the fine old trees that toppled down like ninepins one upon the other. The old men new nought concerning other peat-bogs, but the circumstance which they mentioned explains the occurrence — both in this country and on the continent — of mosses, wherein the trees were uniformly broken off, some close to the roots, others within two or three feet of the original surface, but all lying in the same direction.

In other instances, peat-bogs have originated from a dif- ferent cause — the soil became, without doubt, too much, exhausted for timber-trees, and, on the principle of that natural rotation which occurs in the vegetable world, one set of plants died out, and gave place to others. In proof of which, it has been ascertained that in the Danish islands, and in Jutland and Holstein, fir wood -of various kinds (especially Scotch fir), is found at the bottom of peat-mosses, although it is certain that, during the last five centuries, no cone-producing plants have grown wild in those countries ; trees of this family having been introduced towards the close of the last century.

We have mentioned, incidentally, the preserving quality of the peat, or Bog-moss ; this quality is attributable to the carbonic and gallic acids, which issue from decayed wood, and is consequently absorbed by them; as also, to the presence of charred wood in the lowest strata of their vast accumulations ; for charcoal is a powerful antiseptic, or preventive of corruption in animal and vegetable matter; and consequently, capable ' of purifying water already putrid.

Nothing is more common than the finding of buried trees throughout the vast extent of peat-mosses. In those of Ire-

16

HANDY BOOK OF

land, as also in most of such which abound in England, France, and Holland, they have been often observed with portions of their trunks standing erect, having their roots fixed to the subsoil, and consequently affording indubitable proofs that they once occupied the spot which now presents only a wild and denuded waste. In the marsh of Carragh comprising one of the wildest portions in the Isle of Man large trees are discovered, standing firm on their roots, though at the depth of eighteen or twenty feet below the surface. Indications, also, of large forests remain in Angle- sea, beneath whose branches Druids reared their huts — the

SPHAGNUM PALUSTRE — GREY BOG-MOSS.

very trees, it may be, around which waged the storm of war, when priestesses, with dishevelled hair, and torches in their hands, poured forth the most terrible execrations ; and the islanders, stimulated to fury by their Druids, vainly sought to repel the troops of Suetonius. Be this as it may, the fact is certain — that Anglesea was one of the strongest holds of Druidism ; and that her groves of oak, wherein human victims were often sacrificed, were cut down by command of the Roman general.

Some naturalists conjecture that trees may have been im- bedded in peat-mosses through sudden eruptions of water ; but the facts already mentioned show that such an hypothe- sis is inadmissible. It is likewise further disproved by the fact, that in Scotland, as in many parts of the continent, the largest trees are found in peat-mosses lying in the least ele-

FEfiXS AND MOSSES. 17

vated regions, and that the trees are proportionally smaller in such as occupy the higher levels. De Luc and Walker accordingly infer, that the trees grew on the spot, as timber uniformily attains a greater size in low and sheltered places. The leaves also, and fruits of several species, are continually found immersed in moss, together with the parent trees ; as, for instance, leaves and acorns of the oak, the cones and leaves of fir, and nuts of the hazel.

It is more than probable, that no single plant throughout the vegetable world is so universally diffused as the Bog- moss. Other plants, doubtless, such as reeds and rushes, may be usually "traced in peat, but wherever this substance is discovered, the" Sphagnum constitutes its chief ingredient, and ruay be readily discriminated. When formed on a de- clivity in mountainous regions damp with springs, and where clouds continually rest, it scarcely ever exceeds four feet; when subsisting, on the contrary, in bogs and low grounds, it is occasionally forty feet thick, and upwards — which difference may, in some respects, be accounted for by the volume of water it contains.

And yet, though widely diffused, abounding in propor- tion to its distance from the Equator, and becoming not only more frequent, but more inflammable in northern latitudes — this valuable moss is subjected to certain laws, which re- strict its advance within the tropics. It is, "moreover, rarely found even in the south of France and Spain ; and although most plants contribute in warm climates to the production of peat, it is a singular fact, that neither the Sphagnun, nor any other kind of moss, enters into the composition of South American peat, which is chiefly formed of the Astalia pumila.

Our native moss is, therefore, never discovered in the Brazils ; not even in the swampy portions of her vast allu- vial plains, drained by the sea-like Plata : on the eastern side of South America ; nor in the island of Chiloe on the west. When, however, an English traveller reaches th«

c

18 HAXDT BOOK OF

45th deg. of latitude, and botanically analyses the peat of Terra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, or the Chonos Archipelago, he meets again the well-known Sphagnum, •which he has perhaps gathered in some green lane or wood- side near his far-off home.

And yet, though locally restricted, a vast extent of Europe is covered with this kind of moss. In Ireland, es- pecially, it occupies — with different kinds of aquatic plants, though in a far greater degree — a tenth of the whole island. One of the bogs beside the Shannon is fifty miles in length by two or three broad ; and the great marsh of Montoire, near the mouth of the river Loire — which gives a name to a department of France — north of La Vendee, is more than fifty leagues in circumference. It is also a curious and well- authenticated fact, that several northern European mosses occupy the place of pine and oak woods that have ceased to exist within the historical era.

The same recent origin may be attributed to several in this country. We have already instanced that of Loch- broom, in Rosshire ; Hatfield Moss, in Yorkshire, may be likewise mentioned. Local history preserves the fact, that a vast forest occupied its site, about eighteen hundred years since — a very ancient forest, without doubt, as prostrate oaks have been discovered above one hundred feet long fir-trees also, some more than ninety feet in length : all of which were eagerly purchased for masts and keels of ships.

The noble trees, which war or storms laid prostrate, sheltered, without doubt, men of different races. Our British ancestors dwelt among them ; and recent drainage, with the removal of peat accumulations, have laid open Roman roads in the same moss of Hatfield, as also in that of Kincardine, and several others ; a fact which, taken in connection with the absence of British remains, goes far to prove, that a considerable portion of the European peat- bogs originated in the time of Julius Csosar ; more especially

FE11XS AND 3IOSSES. 19

as the coins, arms, and axes, are clearly not more ancient than the era of his conquests. Nor can any vestige of the forests described by that general, and through which the great Roman road was formed, be discovered, except in the ruined trunks of trees, which the rapid growth of Bog -moss concealed for ages.

The aboriginal forests of Ardennes, Seinarna, and Hir- cinia, with others of equal extent, have long since disap- peared, and their sites are occupied by swamps and mosses. That such vast sweeps of woodland once overshadowed a considerable part of France and Germany are facts pertain- ing to history ; as, likewise, that their disappearance resulted from strict orders given by different Roman emperors to destroy both groves and woods throughout all conquered provinces. In after years, the same policy was adopted by Edward I. with regard to Wales ; by Henry II. as respected Ireland. With the passing on of years, and the increase of civilization, different Parliaments made laws for the cutting down of extensive woods, because they harboured wolves and outlaws. No one, however, cared to remove a tenth of the prostrate trees ; nor, indeed, could they, for trees were many, and labourers few. Wherever, therefore, the noble oaks came crashing down, there they remained ; their trunks and branches obstructing the free drainage of atmospheric waters, and preventing many a bubbling stream that sprung from out the ground from flowing according to its wont. Mosses accordingly began their ministry ; and brief space sufficed to enwrap, as with a mighty mantle of living green, those fallen fathers of the forest. Far as the eye could reach, even from the topmost bough of the stateliest oak or fir, would have appeared one wide, interminable mingling of forest trees ; — now ascending some bold emi- nence, now stooping down into spacious valleys, then going on over ample plains, bounded only by the horizon. A few years passed : where the mighty had stood and fallen, was

20 HANDY BOOK OF

seen, only a wide extent of level or undulating ground, which bore the name of moss.

Considerable tracts have, consequently, been reduced to sterility as regards the growth of timber, by exterminating edicts, and rendered less capable of administering to the wants of man : but with the progress of civilization has arisen a desire to appropriate them to purposes of agricul- ture ; and hence, throughout many parts of England, bogs have been drained : and rich fields of corn and homesteads, reward the industry of the agriculturist.

Hatfield Moss, and that of Kincardine, with others of great extent, bear witness to Roman triumphs, as already mentioned. Others still are, or were, belonging to a period of unknown antiquity. The body of a woman was dis- covered, about a hundred years since, in a Lincolnshire peat-moor. It was covered with moss about six feet deep, and had lain there, apparently, for many ages. The nails, hair, and skin were scarcely, if at all, changed ; and the antique sandals on her feet told of a widely-different condi- tion of society. It may be assumed that she was a person. of some rank— perhaps a British princess, or it might be a female Druid — for sandals were confined to the higher classes, or to those who ministered in idol services. A human body was likewise exhumed, a foot deep in gravel, covered with eleven feet of Bog-moss. It was completely clothed in garments made of hair. This curious circum- stance occurred on an estate belonging to the Earl of Moira, in Ireland : and the fact of hair garments identifies it with a period antecedent to the one when British matrons learned the use of the distaff from their German sisters. No pro bable conjecture could be formed respecting the animal in whose skin the ancient Briton had been enwrapped ; but history leads to the conjecture, that the shaggy covering of the goat was among the first materials employed in clothing ; that afterwards the long hair of the caprine races was blended with the short and soft fur of other animals, by the

FERNS AND MOSSES. 21

aid of gum or glue, and manufactured into that coarse, but solid felt, known in Northern Asia from the earliest ages, and thus noticed by the poet : —

" The careful pastor shears their hoary beards, p And eases of their hair the loaded herds ;

Their camelots, warm in tents, the soldiers hold, And shield the shivering mariners from cold."

Goats' -hair, therefore, was the chief material used in ancient British vestments, till an improved condition of society led to the adoption, from Gaul, of the valuable arts of dressing wool, and of spinning and weaving cloth. Tra- dition tells, that such were brought into the island by a Belgic colony, about a century previous to the first invasion by the Romans. Authentic history relates, that an imperial manufactory of woollen cloth was established at Vinta Bul- garum, now "Winchester.

Canoes, stone hatchets, and stone arrow-heads, evidently of British manufacture, have been found embedded in moss ; as also skeletons of a gigantic elk.

Before dismissing this very interesting portion of our sub- ject, we shall briefly refer to the origin of bog-iron ore, which is found occasionally at the bottom of peat-mosses. The frequency of this curious substance is familiar to the mineralogist, and its formation was long a matter of discus- sion, until the researches of Ehrenberg seem to have re- moved the difficulty. He observed, in the marshes about Berlin, a deep ochre-yellow or red substance, which, upon becoming dry after the water had subsided, closely resembled oxide of iron.

BOG-IRON ORE 2000 TIMES MAGNIFIED.

"When submitted to a powerful microscope, the whole was

22 HANDY BOOK OF

found to consist of slender, articulated threads, form- ing the cases of minute living creatures, called Gaillonclle ferruginea. No doubt, therefore, now exists, that this Bog-iron Ore — which is partly silicious and partly ferru- ginous— comprises millions of these small cases, which although invisible to the naked eye, are yet so powerftil in their effects as to occasion the ebony blackness of such oaks as have been found in peat.

For the sake of our readers who reside near peat-bogs, we shall briefly mention, that the Grey Bog-moss is the most common, with its two varieties : — the Zigzag is rare : the leaves are of a splendid intense green, and when placed under a water-spout, it assumes the character of a brytan.

Grey Bog-moss. Stems growing together, from three to twelve inches high, upright : branches, two, three, or four, from the same part — often drooping from the abundance of moisture. . Leaves white, egg or oval shaped, concave, soft, tiling the .branches. Capsules, when ripening on fruit- stalks, urn-shaped ; generally several together at the top of the stem.

Such are the natural history and associations connected with the Bog-moss.

MARCH.

" WHERE'ER we search, tiie scene presents Wonders to charm th' admiring sense,

And elevate the mind ; Nor ever spreads a single spray, That quivers in departing day, Or turns to meet the morning ray,

But speaks a power Divine. "

WHAT is apparently more insignificant than moss-seeds ': — in some species only to be discovered by aid of a high mag- nifier, in others resembling the finest grains of sand. What

FE11XS AND MOSSES. 23

is so utterly invisible as 'the wind — felt in its effects, but unseen !' Yet the seeds and the wind, working conjointly, clothe the herbless rock with verdure, and form, as years pass on, a rooting-place for oaks that ride sea-billows, and circumnavigate the globe.

Mosses, therefore, and their handmaids, crustaceous lichens, are needful in the economy of nature : the first, as already noticed, prepares a slight accumulation of vegetable mould for the reception of the second ; and these are rapidly succeeded by grasses and lesser plants, which in their turn decay, and give place to shrubs and trees, till after the lapse of years, extensive woodlands often clothe the boldest and most precipitous ascents. Thus, in the passes of the Alps, near Inspruck, the high cliffs on either side, though

CTP, OR CHALICE-MOSS.

nearly perpendicular, are mantled with vast forests, that cast a dismal shade over the road. Time was, when those rocks were destitute of vegetation, when huge masses were raged over by fierce winds, and winter rains descended on. them in their might : had the eye of some passing natu- ralist been open to discern tilings invisible, he might have seen a light vapour, borne by zephyrs, and left among the fissures of those wild rocks, where already the smallest particles of mould had accumulated ; then came soft rains and sunbeams, ministering to the tender seeds, till forth from out their rocky cradles peeped green mosses of various forms and hues. The Cup, or Chalice-moss of old botanists, grew there abundantly, and its descendants still linger in

^4 HANDY BOOK OF

pen spaces beneath, the trees'; hecause, as wrote old Gerard, " It thriveth best in moist barren and gravelly banks or rocks, creeping flat upon the ground, like unto liverwort, but of a yellowish-white colour, among which leaves start up here and there, certaine little things fashioned like unto a tiny cup, called a beater, or chalice, and of the same colour and substance of the lower leaves, which un- doubtedly may be taken for the flowers. The powder of this moss, given unto small children in any liquour, for certaine daies together, is a most certaine remidy against that perilous malady called the chin-coiigh. Albeit, the remedy doth require care, and is not to be adventured upon, save under the guidance of an experienced gudewife."

The Toothed, hoary Thread-moss (Bryum liypnoidcs) is found in the same locality. Concerning this, also, the old herbalist has thus spoken :— " There is found, upon the top of most barren mountains, but especially such as at whose base sea coles are accustomed to be digged, or stones to make iron of, and also where ore is gotten for tinne and lead, a certaine small plant ; it riseth forth of the ground with many bare and naked branches, dividing themselves at the top into sundiy knags, like the forked homes of deere, every part whereof is of a whitish colour."

The Northern Hair-moss (Muses septentrionale] is there also ; that graceful species, first discovered on Ben Nevis, and nowhere more abundant than on the highest of the Cairngorm range of Grampian mountains, which thrives best on rugged sides of windy rocks, where storms contend for mastery. Yet, who, in looking on this moss, could imagine that its delicate texture was adapted to bear the merciless buffetings of winds and rains, unsheltered from their fury, and covered half the year with a crushing weight of snow. Yet so it is ; and life is still sustained in this small weed — a memorial plant, bidding him who looks towards its sterile growing-place, take courage, wherever Ms lot is cast.

FEH>TS AND MOSSES. 25

Wherever a small stream wanders in the same wild loca-. lity, there the Rigid Thread-moss (Bryum rigidum] finds a home. Rills supplied hy rain are not unfrequent on con- siderable elevations, and the naturalist who could ascend some of the most accessible, would often find the mosses that grow in valleys. This occurs in the instance of the Rigid Thread-moss, which thrives best where springs ooze from out the ground. Its diminutive relative, Paludoswn, abounds in its vicinity, and may be seen on dripping rocks, or nestling among the massive roots of giant trees, which are rendered continually moist by extending in their neigh- bourhood.

Different species of the family of the Earth - moss (Phascum} are uniformly pioneers to their more attractive brethren. The Sharp-leaved Dwarf Earth-moss (P. acaulon] is extremely minute ; but wherever it appears, with its soft and delicate leaves, a few lines in length, and forming globular clusters, he who passes away, and returns after the lapse of a few years, will find its herbless haunt covered with bushes, perhaps even with young sappling oaks or elms. The Beardless Earth-moss (P. muticum) may be readily distinguished by its red and yellow capsules, which become brown in autumn, and often present a pleasing con- trast to the vivid green of various kinds. The whole plant is extremely minute ; it attains occasionlly to an elevation of half an inch, though more generally is only three or four lines high. But however diminutive, the Capillary-branched Earth-moss (P. serratuni) is still smaller. This fairy- formed moss resembles, at first sight, a thread-like byssus, and would be scarcely visible to the eye if it did not grow in patches. Conjectured to be a connecting link between the Musci and Algae, partaking likewise of the nature of Phascum and Conferva, it consists of numerous filaments, which, when subjected to a magnifier, appear creeping, cylindrical, branched, and jointed like a conferva ; the in- terstices pellucid, the joints darker green: and yet, how-

26 HANDY BOOK OF

ever minute, and most probably the smallest of British mosses, every part is elaborately adorned : the. egg-shaped seed-vessels are pointed, and of a tawny hue when ripe ; and the veil which serves to protect the seeds from the effects of weather, or to hide them from the visitations of small Birds, is most exquisitely finished.

The P. alternifolium, or Alternate-leaved Earth-moss, has its own specific character. It forms small green tufts, and the leaves, when examined separately, are short, awl- shaped, alternate, rather bulging at the base, and expanding at the ends. The Crooked- stalked (P. curvifolium} in like manner reveals specific differences, although hardly visible to the naked eye unless growing in clusters, and bearing its swollen capsules on small stems. What, it may be asked, are those peculiar differences ? Straightness in the spear- shaped leaves that form the involucrum, or veil, while the other leaves are egg spear-shaped, as also bending fruit- stalks, terminated by oval seed-vessels, brown and mottled when fully ripe. Such are the peculiarities of this scarcely visible moss, which render it different from any other of its kind, as the yew is different from the poplar. In the Bearded Earth -moss (P. piliferum), we recognize a remark- able hoary appearance, occasioned by the long white filiform, extremities of the leaves.

The above-mentioned are most common among those mosses which prepare the way for large vegetable develop- ments, and enable seeds to germinate even in the fissures and crannies of granite rocks. In the Alpine passes all is terrible and full of gloom. Giant oaks, grasping with their firm roots immense masses of overarching rocks, fling their tortuous and rugged branches far over the defile, and often reach the opposite bank, of which the summit is lost amid the shade of intermingling boughs.

The beautiful vale of Tempe, on the contrary, offers an instance of the fine effect produced by progressive vegeta- tion. Towards the lower part of this wild spot, the cliffs

FEEXS AJfD 3IOSS.KS. 27

are peaked in a very singular manner, and form projecting angles on the vast perpendicular masses of picturesque rocks that extend on either side the glen. According to the depth of mould, produced hy the decay of lichens and mosses, are the fissures and ledges of the rocks varied with dwarf oaks, arbutus, and flowering shrubs.

Thus are we indebted to the gradual progress of vegetation in which mosses bear such a distinguishing part, for some im- posing and many graceful varieties in scenery. Bare and rugged rocks may, in some situations, produce a grand, but never a beautiful effect ; tinged with such concentric circles, nebula?, and seeming pencilling of all hues and forms as lichens present, their sterile aspect disappears, mosses and ferns take root, and become objects of great interest to painters and botanists. To these succeed, or else mingle with them, flowers and small bushes — the dog-rose or honey- suckle, the daphne laurel, the dwarf cornel and mezereum. At this point, the rock acquires a considerable degree of beauty ; but when clothed with forest trees, it becomes — especially if reflected by a sheet of water — one of the sub- limest objects connected with natural scenery.

To such of our friends as live in the 'neighbourhood of those deep cuttings through rocks, which are made for the laying down of railroads, we recommend attention to this gradual advance of vegetation. It may not be that lichens and mosses first root themselves among the ruptured portions, because the rock being suddenly thrown open to the action of the elements, and affected by the escape of different gases, partially decomposes in many parts, and is consequently prepared for the reception of floating seeds. Progressive vegetation is, however, soon apparent, and be- comes a subject of no ordinary interest.

The same effect may also be often traced on a common wall, and is equally deserving of notice. A green incrusta- tion is first seen, composed of the earliest germination of some minute moss ; when this decays, a very thin stratum

28 HANDY BOOK OF

of mould is deposited, which imperceptibly accumulates, and forms a soil for the reception of other mosses, and such diminutive plants as the Drapa verna, or Nailwort ; others of a larger growth succeed, and before much time has passed, wallflowers, and the elegant snapdragon, with ferns and harebells, wave in the soft summer air. The walls of the Jews' burying-ground, near the Queen's Elms, on the Ful- ham road, present a similar instance of vegetable develop- ment in its earliest and rudimental state.

Two subjects for consideration are suggested by the men- tion of mosses, taken in connection with trees or shrubs, and each has reference to that appendage which generally, though not invariably, acts as an anchor to the plant. This appendage is the root; its fantastic form and tenacious grasp in various instances have been alluded to by poets and painters, and few, it may be, whose eyes are opened to admire the natural objects of creation, have not remarked the fine effect produced in broken foregrounds by the introduction of interlacing roots with ferns and mosses. Salvator llosa well knew the magic and truthfulness which they imparted, and many a painter since his time has visited the wildest soli- tudes of nature — green lanes and time-worn quarries, over - grown with old trees — in quest of such ; poets have sung concerning them, and none more graphically than our own Spenser and the Bard of Avon. Botanists, too, have loved to turn aside from the technicalities of science, to linger in imagination among forest walks, where moss-grown roots twist adown the banks, and are often embellished with primroses and bluebells. Strange it seems, that among the sons of Painting or of Song, none have cared to find a theme for sketching or description in the elegant moss root, which binds its parent to some storm-beaten rock. And yet the mystic apparatus of pipes and organs, of cells and vessels, equally exists in the minutest fibre of the Capillary Thread- moss — smallest of British" mosses — as in the sturdy root that sustains the loftiest oak. The machinery in each is similar ;

FERXS AND MOSSES.

29

the functions of absorption, assimilation, and secretion, with the flowing of sap and the showing forth of its wondrous powers, are the same in both. Moreover, I have often thought, when endeavouring to remove a piece of moss, that the power of adhesion in its roots is far greater than in forest trees. Small though they be, and minute the green patch which they sustain, they nevertheless stride their sessile fibres so firmly into the rock or stone, that a sharp penknife (and used by a strong hand) is often required to

OAK FERX, OR WOOD FERX.

separate the moss or byssus from its place of growth. This is needful ; and were it otherwise, the tribe of which we speak would be continually swept away by the mere force of the wind or rain. Hence it is that the roots of mosses are comprised under the general name of branching; several kinds are furnished with small claspers, that possess great muscular strength ; others possess, if we mistake not, a restricted power of adhering by means of suction.

Ferns are now beginning to unfold, and the botanist who

30 HANDY 1300K OF

seeks for them in woods and bank-sides, may often discover roimd hairy-looking halls, of a rich brown colour, emerging from among the grass and mosses. Such halls contain some infant fern, carefully folded up, hut soon to yield to the joint ministry of showers and sunheams, and to stand forth in its singleness and heauty.

Oak-fern grows generally in wild and mountainous dis- tricts, and, although one of the most elegant and attractive of our native species, seems instinctively to avoid the abodes of men, and fixes itself in places overhung with rocks or thick foliage. The roots are black and fibrous, and the young fronds make their appearance in March and April ; they each resemble three small balls upheld on wires, which gradually unfold, and display a triple division ; the fronds arrive at maturity early in the summer, and entirely dis- appear before the storms of winter.

This species, the Polypodium dryopteris of botanists, de- rives its specific name from being occasionally found among the mossy roots of aged oaks. Its localities are often asso- ciated with local scenery and time-haunted ruins, with the remembrance of Druidic observances and r tes, and places renowned in history. Dry, stony heaths in Yorkshire, Lancashire, "Westmoreland, and Scotland, are some of its favourite resorts, though growing in great luxuriance beside the fall of Lodore, on the side of Derwentwater, in Cumberland. "We have gathered it occasionally in Glouces- tershire, in a wood north-east of the road up Frocester Hill, and on a rocky lane-bank leading to the romantic village of Shepseombe, near Painswick, towards the Chel- tenham road.

The unfolding of this graceful species is ever welcome. Its emerging from the earth uniformly indicates the passing by of winter storms, and is accompanied by the lesser celan- dine, with its glossy yellow cups — the speedwell, and haw- thorn, and those two most fragrant ilowers, the violet and

FKKNS .VST) 3IOSSES. 31

the meek, soft-eyed primrose. The mezereum, that fills the air with fragrance, and daffodils —

" That come before the swallow dares, and tint The winds of March, with beauty."

often affect the same locality.

BROAD FERN.

Fronds of the Broad-fern (Lastraa dilatata, or Aspidium dilatahim and spinuhsum, and Polypodium cristatum, for by each of these names has the Broad-fern been designated) also appear in March, and although thus early developed, are rarely injured by the frost. New fronds succeed one another as. the months pass on ; they apparently attain their maturity in September, and continue green and vigorous throughout the winter — yet only in sheltered places, for the Broad fern seems to shrink instinctively from cold.

This fern occasionally assumes a dissimilar appearance from such as it generally presents, and is therefore somewhat puzzling to inexperienced botanists. Four types are noticed by Xewman in his interesting history of British species, and are as follow : —

The Linear type ; erect, rigid, pale sickly green ; lateral margin of the frond nearly linear, as figured above.

The Dwarf type : dwarf, nearly erect, rigid, dark-green or brown ; lateral margin nearly linear ; all the divisions having a tendency to become convex.

The Triangular type : drooping, deep full green, broadly triangular ; the divisions slightly convex.

32 HANDY BOOK OF

The Concave type : when luxuriant, drooping ; "when otherwise, more erect ; triangular, bright beautiful green ; all the divisions concave.

In every variety, the lateral veins are placed alternately on the mid- vein, after leaving which, each one sends out an anterior branch, which bears a nearly circular mass of thecte half-way between its commencement and extremity. All the veins terminate before reaching the margin, which is attached on one side, but is soon lost among the growing theese, or sheaths.

The engraving represents the triangular or normal form, which gives a peculiar grace to this interesting species. Few among the brotherhood of Ferns are more widely-diffused throughout England, "Wales, Scotland, and Ireland ; grow- ing not unfrequently on decayed trees, or on old stumps in hedgerows, on rocks and among stones; and is then, on account of its black, iibrous, and tenacious roots, extremely difficult to obtain entire ; but when affecting woods and forests abounding with dead leaves, finding neither stones nor prostrate trees wherein to fix itself, the Broad fern may be readily removed.

APRIL.

" OH ! I have loved where thou wast rear'd in greenest strength to

stray,

And mark thy feathery stem upraised o'er lichen' d ruin grey; Or in the fairy moonlight bent, to meet the silvering hue ; Or glistening yet, when noon was high, with morn's unvanish'd

dew."

FEW plants are' more locally restricted than such as com- pose the Fern tribe; and yet this restriction cannot be ascribed to the want of shade or moisture. We remember a well-wooded park in Northamptonshire, watered by an

FERXS AXD MOSSES. iio

ample stream, and having, moreover, a considerable morass, favourable to the growth of many species, where a few stunted specimens of the common Brake-fern (Pteris aqui- &"««) alone were discoverable. They grew under the shade of trees, in somewhat swampy ground, and* occupied a small space. Many, in passing, looked upon them with indiffer- ence ; but their desolate and dwarfish appearance awoke within us the thought of fallen fortunes and stately homes exchanged for penury and obscurity.

"TTA ^

COMMON BRAKK.

After leaving the growing-place of this isolated family, we sought carefully for more favourable specimens, but in vain. The hedges for many miles presented a rich luxu- riance of wild roses and honeysuckles ; and a beautiful variety of flowers common to the season was seen on either side the village roads ; yet not a single fern. iNor was it till we reached Oundle, at sixteen miles' distance, that we observed small tufts of the Scaly Hart-tongue, springing from fissures in an old bridge which crossed the river Nen. One or two diminutive Polypodies were seen in the same locality ; they

D

34 HANDY BOOK OF

were, however, imperfectly developed, and had suffered from the depredation of insects.

The absence of the Common Brake throughout such an extended space is the more extraordinary, because there is scarcely a heath or common — a wood or forest, in any part of the United Kingdom, where it does not hold a prominent station. Its presence is said to indicate a poor soil ; hut Newman is inclined to think that its absence from rich and highly- cultivated ground is rather attributable to the effects of the plough and hoe. Varying in height from ten or twelve inches to as many feet, it attains an enormous size in shady woods where the soil is moist, and sunbeams rarely enter. Kent is one of its favourite localities ; and we re- member gathering some fine specimens in a beech wood near Ebworth Park, in Gloucestershire. The trees were large and beautiful ; but, with the exception of the Brakes and common Solomon's Seal, nothing could nourish beneath their shade : these plants, however, grew profusely ; and it was cheering to welcome them in a spot where even the common green moss seemed disinclined to vegetate.

Young fronds of the Brake-fern appear in May ; they are very susceptible of cold, and the first shoots are almost in- variably destroyed by the late frosts of spring, even when the month is considerably advanced. They emerge from out the earth either bent or doubled, the leafy portion being pressed against the rachis ; yet not curled, according to the wont of other species. And as in spring this welcome fern shrinks from such lingering frosts as seem unwilling to for- sake the fields, so in autumn their visitations, however transient, cause the leaves to become of a deep-brown colour, and thus they continue during the whole winter, frequently in an erect position, and affording shelter to small animals, and birds when seeking for insect food.

The roots are brown, fibrous, and penetrating; the rhizoma is also brown, velvety, of extensive and rapid growth, run-

AND MOSSES. 3o

ning mostly in a horizontal direction, though occasionally perpendicular. The historian of British Ferns, who watched with great interest the progress of the London and Croydon railway, found in the New Cross cutting, great abundance of rhizomata in a decayed condition, some of which had penetrated to a perpendicular depth of fifteen feet. And wherever this fern has grown unmolested for a long series of years, the soil becomes filled with a seeming network formed by them.

Seeds of the common Brake, equally with those of ferns in general, afford interesting objects for the microscope. The capsules in which they are contained, though appearing merely as dots or lines on the under- surf ace of the leaves, are either sitting or sessile, or else elevated on little foot- stalks, surrounded by an elastic or jointed ring, opening transversely when ripe, and dicharging the seeds — not merely causing them to fall upon the earth, but, by aid of the sud- den jerk of the springing cord, flinging them to a consider- able distance. During the months of September and October this curious mechanism effects its destined purpose, and sows a crop for the ensuing year.

PERN B.OOT.

Many a schoolboy has wandered on a summer holiday from wood-side to sunny common, pleasing himself and his companions, as he passed along, with pulling up the finest Brakes and cutting their roots obliquely : wherefore ? Be- cause the roots, when cut, present a natural hieroglyphic, beautifully delineated, and representing either an oak tret or spread eagle. Some cavalier, it may be following the fortunes of Prince Charles through glen and glade where grew the Brake-fern in its wildest luxuriance, gave to this

36 HANDY BOOK 01'

small painting by Nature's pencil the cognomen of " King Charles in the Oak." A mournful fancy, truly, had he who thus named it ; but, ever since, the name has descended from sire to son, through generations of schoolboys, to the present day. Linnaeus, in like manner, resting beside a rocky bank in Lapland, where the Brake-fern grew in such profusion as to form a canopy above his head, chancing to cut one of the stems a little way below the earth, found to his great surprise that it presented a kind of minute pencil- ling. Mindful of the Imperial Eagle, either as a cognizance of the House of Austria, or else having respect to the stern occupant of rugged mountains, winging his bold flight over regions of perpetual winter, he gave to it the name of Pterix aquilina.

The Pteris is not only abundant, but extremely useful ; it is preferred in Scotland for thatching cottages and sheds, and serves in Wales for littering horses. You may see, even in the streets of London, cart-loads of this favourite fern at the doors of fruiterers and fishmongers. I often turn aside, when passing, to look upon its well-remem- bered branches ; and many a thought arises of far-oft' scenes, where the Brake-fern flourished amid the loveliest haunts, by stream or wood-side, or on sunny heaths, among wild thyme and the bee-orchis.

Cottagers have recourse to the ashes of the common Brake for obtaining a tolerably pure alkali, mixed with water, and formed into balls, which are afterwards heated in the rire ; they arc much used to make lye for scouring linen. In countries where coal is scarce, the peasantry find them invaluable for heating ovens and burning limestone, for they yield a very great heat : when seen in the gloom of evening thus gleaming from some lone lime-kiln among rocks and aged trees, the effect is exceedingly pleasing.

A coarse kind of bread is prepared from the roots in some inhospitable regions of the globe : in countries, too, where fruits abound, and palms and citrons yield abundance of

FK11NS AND BOSSES. 37

vegetable stores, the young shoots are often sold in bundles as a kind of salad. Those who prepare kid and chamois leather for sale employ ferns in dressing it; and of ten while the chamois hunter pursues his prey amid Alpine solitudes, his children range at the base of the stern rocks which he lias ascended, in quest of this valuable fern.

And a truly wild plant is this same Brake, avoiding the haunts of man, and delighting in the purest air of heaven, among wastes and mountains, associated with legendary lore, and many a border tale of thrilling interest.

" Beautiful fern !

Thy place is not where art exults to raise the tended flower, By terraced walk, or deck'd parterre, or fenced and shelter'd

bower ;

Xor where the straightly-levelled walks, of tangled boughs between, The sunbeam lights the velvet sward, and streams through alleys

green.

Thy dwelling is the desert heath, the wood, the haunted dell, And where the wild deer stoops to drink, beside the crystal well ; And by the lake with trembling stars bestud, when earth is still, And midnight's melancholy pomp is on the distant hill."

TRUE MAIDENHAIR.

The True Maidenhair (Adiantum aapillus- Veneris of nuthors) is the rarest and most beautiful of British ferns. He who adventures into moist caves, or on rocks near the sea-coast, may chance to find here and there a tuft of this elegant plant, firmly rooted in the crevices, yet uniformly

38 HANDY BOOK OF

preferring a perpendicular surface, from whence its delicate fronds spring forth in a nearly horizontal direction, inclining upwards at the extremity.

Jn Cornwall, dripping rocks near St. Ives are favourite growing-places of this rare fern ; as also a small cove on the eastern side of Carrack Gladden, and a cove between St. Ives and Hayle. At the Lizard Point, that most southern promontory of England, the scene of many a bitter parting from those who are bound to the westward— botanists are likewise rarely disappointed in collecting some of the finest specimens.

Fern collectors who visit the principality of Wales during their summer excursions, may find the species in a some- what considerable range comprised within the rocks of Dunraven, in Glamorganshire, and Barry Island. A marked restriction with regard to locality prevails in Ireland ; although abounding with such dripping rocks as the Maid- enhair principally affects, as yet it is discovered only in the south isles of Arran ; among the Cahir Couree moun- tains, near Tralee, at the foot of a romantic rock facing- south-west ; and on the banks of Loch Bulard, near Urrisbeg, Connemara.

Professor Beattie, who loved ferns, and sought them out in their most secluded haunts, mentions the true Maiden- hair as growing on the banks of the Carron, a rivulet in Kincardineshire.

The generic name, Adiantum, is derived from two Greek words, signifying to moisten, or become wet. This elegant plant is about five or six inches in height ; the leaflets are fan-shaped, and of a very delicate transparent green ; the roots are fibrous, black, and wiry ; the rhizoma black and scaly ; young fronds appear early in May, though their divisions are not fully developed before June. They mostly continue green till winter! but shrink instinctively from storms and piercing winds : the botanist who then seeks for them finds only a few dull brown branches, where a few

FEKXS

MOSSES.

39

ays previously their graceful tufts looked green and cheer- ful in the fitful gleams of a waning sun.

We have mentioned the favourite localities of the True Maidenhair ; among these the south isles of Arran afford

ome of the finest specimens ; and so abundantly grows this most beautiful of our native species in their mild and humj atmosphere, that the natives use a decoction of the fron s instead of tea. They know not how eagerly fern collectors

BLECHNTTM SPIC.VXT.

often adventure life and limb, scrambling up dripping rocks, or exploring some lone sea-cave, in quest of the fern which, they scarcely heed ; or with what delight the possessor of a portable glass-house, when placing it in a staircase window, or on some table in a favourite room, deposits vithin it a

40 HANDY BOOK OF

young plant of the True Maidenhair, that he may watch its progress with the deepest interest.

The Blechnum spicant of Withering and Roth is now assigned to the genus Lomaria. Mr. Smith, of the Kew Botanic Gardens, restricts the genus Blechnum to those species in which the lateral, or side veins, continue beyond the line of thecae, and to the margin of the pinna ; the genus Lomaria to such as present the lateral veins terminating in the line of thecse. This distinction is extremely simple, and must steadily be borne in mind.

Few, if any, local associations pertain to this frequent species. It occurs on road-sides and village commons, in. woods, by streamlets, and on moist heaths ; in the southern counties sparingly, but more abundantly in the northern. The roots are wiry, black, and tough ; the rhizoma both tufted and hairy ; emerging simultaneously from the earth with the lily of the valley, the cowslip and sweet violet, the white saxifrage and woodruff; it does not, however, again seek the shelter of maternal earth, but con- tinues green and luxuriant through the winter. The most casual observer may, perhaps, have noticed the beautiful arrangement of fern-seeds on the lower surface of the leaves; in some, profuse — in others, wanting. This peculiarity is very obvious in the Lomaria spicant : and some slight dif- ference exists between such fronds or leaves as are called fertile, and such as are seedless ; it is not, however, sufficient to perplex the learner. Paley accounts for this singular arrangement of the seeds. " In all plants," said he, " two purposes are obvious ; viz., the perfecting and preserving the seeds." Seed-vessels are mostly lodged in the centre — the recesses or labyrinths of the flowers. They are sur- rounded with concave petals, which serve to reflect upon them both light and warmth ; and when any deviation occurs, it bears an especial reference to some peculiarity of flowering or station. Thus, in some water-plants, the per- fecting of the seeds is carried on within the stem ; in the

FEJIXS -VXD MOSSES. 41

papilionaceous or pea tribe, a pent-house, formed of fragrant petals, protects the capsules from wind or rain. In the family of ferns, their seeds are placed either in spots or lines, and have, undoubtedly, regard to windy growing -places, on rocks or ruins, or open heaths where the species congregate.

Though neither historic nor poetic associations are awakened in the mind of him who gathers the long, slender fern-leaf — hear you not the voices of young children calling eagerly to one another ? " Look ! look !" say they, " what is that brownish green ball among the primroses ?" and then, regardless of torn pinafores or wet feet, they scramble up the dripping or stony banks, among brambles and dog-roses, and in their eagerness too often spoil the desired prize. The ball itself is beautiful ; and those who love to watch the gradual expanding of leaves and flowers observe with plea- sure, that not only are the leaves rolled together, but the leaflets also. Remove one of the leaflets carefully, and you will discover on the back two white lines, extending from the base to the point, bordered with green, and depressed in the middle. These white lines are delicate membranes, containing minute pellucid bodies, supported on foot- stalks. High magnifiers, moreover, discover small bodies of a brownish cast on the youngest leaflets. They consist of two parts : the' one, very slender and pellucid, proceeding from the rib ; the other, a coloured oval-shaped ball, stand- ing upon it. "When the leaflets are fully unfolded, the rib becomes more turgid, and the globules disappear.

The Rock Brake, or Parsley-leaved fern, is found on rocks, and heaths, and old walls, especially in the northern counties. Tourists to Borrowdale, Cader Idris, and the Highlands of Scotland, may meet with this pleasing fern in many of their favourite haunts. It generally rises to the height of about four or five inches, and, when growing plen- tifully, its bright green leaves present a cheerful contrast to the lichen-dotted and dark weather-beaten masses of rock to which it clings. Though found occasionally in the ere-

42

HANDY BOOK OF

vices of old stone walls, the Parsley-leaved fern thrives best among the shapeless hlocks of stone which time or storms have strewn upon the sides of mountains. In Eng-

SEEDLESS ROCK BRAKE.

FERTILE ROCK BRAKE.

land, therefore, the lakes and mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland, of Lancashire and Yorkshire, reveal this delicate species ; the first two, very ahundantly ; the second,

FEEN3 AND MOSSES. 43

more sparingly. A similar assignment and restriction is discoverable throughout Wales. Botanists who visit the mountainous regions of Carnarvonshire often meet with specimens rooted among stones, which some convulsive movement of the earth has shattered in times long past ; let them not, however,. expect to find an equal abundance of the Parsley-leaved fern on the sides or summit of Cader Idris, or in the wild and beautiful localities of Dolgelly, Aberglaslyn, Stranberris, or Beddgelert, with its rushing waters, and rocks shaded with high trees, where, as tradition says, the last of the Welsh bards used to wake the echoes with wild and mournful melody ; nor yet at Llanberris, Tan-y-Bwlch, and Llyn Tregarien. Newman reports, that ho noted at least forty localities of the Parsley -fern during the course of a pedestrian excursion in the Highlands, but invariably in small tufts, on old walls, or among stones ; these localities occurred in the mountainous parts of Aber- deenshire, Perthshire, and Argyleshire. In Ireland, the Mourne mountains, County Down, and the liberties of Car- rickfergus, County Antrim, are mentioned as habitats of the same fern, though sparingly distributed.

Allosorus crispus is the name assigned by Bernhardi, Sprengel, Sadler, and Presl, to the Rock Brakes, or Parsley- fern, the Pteris crispa of Smith and Withering. It has been rendered the type of a new genus by three eminent bota- nists; Bernhardi gave it the appellation A llosorus: Desveux, that of Phorobolus ; Brown, that of Oryptofframma ; Lin- i!03us called it Asmunda crispa ; Roth, Onocleoides ; Gray, Slegania Onoclea crispa. Young botanists will find it need- ful to remember these dissimilar names.

The root is fibrous ; the fibres numerous and tough, and tenaciously adhering to the wildest growing -places ; hence the Parsley-fern, though slight and delicately formed, is enabled to retain its position on the side of mountains over which the rains and storms ot winter prevail unchecked.

The fronds, or leaves, appear in May, and disappear in

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autumn, when frosts begin to whiten the fields. Fertile leaves, or such as produce seeds, are nearly triangular ; they are composed of numerous separate pinnulso, each on a distinct foot-stalk — the pinna), as well as the pinnulse, being- alternate. The character of the barren, or seedless frond, is various ; it resembles in configuration that of parsley, being crowded, or crisped ; but the divisions are intrinsically the same as those of the fertile, or seed-producing frond : in both the rachis, or spike-stalk, is slender, smooth, pale- green, and naked for rather more than "half its length ; the coloiir of the frond is of a bright and beautiful green.

Fig. a represents a seed-producing frond, when the mar- gins are rolled over in order to protect the theca). Fig. b, a leaf showing alternate lateral veins, which are generally forked ; with a mass of theca) attached at each extremity. The veins do not reach the margin. Fig. c, a seedless frond.

FKUXS AND MOSSES. 45

MAY.

" MANY a poet, in his lay,

Told me May would come again ; Truly sang the bards, for May Yesterday began to reign ! She is like a bounteous lord, • Gold enough she gives to me — Gold ! ay, such as poets hoard, ' Florins of the mead and tree ; Hazel flowers, and fleurs-de-lis!' Ferns that grow the stream beside, Where the leveret loves to hide."

DAVYTH AP GWILYM.

AWAY to the woodlands ! to the mossy bank, and stream- side, in quest of ferns — to the rock or wall, the wild heath or sunny dingle — there grow these loneliest children of the spring or summer ! and scarcely may the wind or shower fertilize the dreariest crag, or a wandering sunbeam visit the most secluded cavern, where you cannot find them.

Take, therefore, a small basket, or tin case, and collect such specimens as you desire to preserve ; it may he that you have merely a space of a few yards, yet this, with judi- ciouscare, will become a Fernery. Observe, when gathering your specimens, the situations in which they grow — whether on an horizontal or sloping surface ; whether rooted in the ground, or simply adhering to some weather-beaten rock ; whether exposed to storms or sunshine ; and, according to their respective growing-places, arrange them in- your Fernery at home. If you live in the neighbourhood of a glass-house you can obtain abundance of clinkers : if not, in this building age you will have no difficulty in procuring pieces of broken bricks, with which to imitate the rugged- ness of nature. Fill some of the interstices with crumbling mortar, for the reception of those ferns that grow naturally in the crevices of mortared walls ; and they will, despite of

46 HAKDT BOOK OF

rains and constant waterings, in which ferns delight, re- main comparatively dry : this is needful, because, although the species mostly abound in humid places, some are injured by too much wet. Bog earth, or leaf mould, will afford an excellent rooting for moisture-loving ferns. Possibly neigh- bouring trees, high walls, or tall unsightly buildings, may shut out a summer's morning sun, or even not permit a single ray to illumine some dark corner. This, however, need not perplex you : the corner, cheerless though it be, and necessarily damp, will afford a welcome habitat to. the Scolopendrium vulgare, or Hart's-tongue, which especially delights in old wells and humid places, and is nowhere so • abundant as in deep shade and moisture. Notwithstanding these apparent predilections, it will be well to place ferns of dissimilar localities side by side, in the deepest shadow and brightest sunbeams ; such, for example, as the common Hart's-tongue, and its relative, the Scaly. You will then be able readily to observe how luxuriantly the one expands and seemingly rejoices, either in shade or sunbeams, while the other appears to pine for a more congenial habitation.

It is all-important that ferns should be well watered, and yet as gently as possible. If you possess a garden engine, let the stream descend in an almost imperceptible shower ; if you have only a watering-pot, hold it high, and avoid a heavy watering. Nature teaches this : for rain rarely in- jures by its force even the feeblest flower. If the day has been cloudless, refresh your ferns, and that copiously, every evening during summer. In autumn withhold your hand ; such as conceal themselves beneath the earth in winter begin to prepare for their long sleep ; in others, the fronds have ceased to grow — while some that remain green and render cheerful many a leafless hedge or rocky bank, have already their full size and substance developed. But however circumstanced, they all require perfect rest ; the sap scarcely circulates — a state of vegetable quietc rss ensues, and they cannot be disturbed or stimulated with- .t injury.

FKRXS AXD 3IOSSES. 47

Mosses may be introduced with great advantage ; they speedily cover the earth or stones, and retain humidity from dews or showers ; and if you wish to please your children, plant among them a few primroses and harebells. The sight of them may even recall to your own mind the gladsome days of childhood, when you gathered such among the grass, or beside some babbling stream rushing from out a wooded bank. The snowdrop, and a tuft or two of cowslips, will

1 Dk beautiful amid the ferns; it may be that, when in spring they lift up their familiar faces, you will incline to give your wife and children a treat into the country, far away from the sight of crowding houses. Such holidays refresh the spirit ; they fill the mind with gladsome thoughts and pleasant memories, and he who occasionally enjoys them returns invigorated to his daily duties.

The owner of a small court cannot do better than em- bellish it with ferns. They grow where flowers yield no beauty ; and, instead of that unsightly and desolate aspect which courts often present, a beautiful assemblage of graceful plants may be readily brought together.

While recommending the study o these interesting plants to those especially whose visits to their growing-places are few, and somewhat restricted, we desire to impress upon their memories the component parts of every fern, viz.— the roots, rhizoma, and. fronds. The small fibres above pictured represent the roots : the long tube-like horizontal stem is

48 HAJfDV BOOK OF

part of the rhizoma, properly called creeping, because it ex- tends a long way beneath the soil : but when otherwise, is known as a tufted rhizoma ; the upright stems are fronds, by some botanists designated branches, by others leaves. This part comprises a main stem, which extends from the rhizoma to the extreme point, and is called the rachis: the branches on either side are called pinna1; when not com- pletely divided from each other, as in the Hard-fern, pinna ti- fid ; if divided, pinnate. When the pinnte are divided into branches on both sides, the branches are called pinnulcc; of this the Brake presents a familiar example, as also of a further division into lobes. Theea>, when applied to ferns, signifies capsules, or small vessels for containing seeds; these are beautifully arranged, on the undcr-surface of the leaves, in dots or lines. In those pertaining to the Marsh-fern, a small v.'hite kidney-shaped spot is obvious, consisting of a m:-'ubranous substance, called the indiiKiuin.

liut many an enthusiastic lover of ferns and flowers has not even a small court to call his own. He occupies, per- chance, a single room, and sighs in vain for the possession of those beauteous ferns which delighted him in youth. We *vdll cheerfully point out a simple method by which his wish may be fulfilled. Obtain from the glazier four pieces of glass, equal in size and thickness — from the linen-draper a piece of scarlet galloon (for this colour suits well with green), and bind it tight round the edges ; fastening it at the ends firmly with a needle and thread of the same colour. This done, sew the edges together, and form a square glass frame, to which a cover must be fixed by the same means ; provide a thick square board, with a groove all round, the size of your glass-house, or, what would be preferable, a strong box, sufficiently deep to contain five or six inches of light sandy earth ; plant in this a few young ferns of diffe- rent kinds ; moisten the earth slightly, and cover them with your glass-house. You may thus have a continual object of interest to greet your first awaking : ferns, it may be,

PERNS AND MOSSES.

49

that grew beside your father's cottage, or where you gathered nuts in. autumn, associated with thoughts of home and boyhood pleasures, bringing back to mind many a word of loving counsel to guide and cheer your onward progress.

COMMON rOLYI-ODY.

Lift up your head, young botanist, and think not that terns grow only on the ground ! A beauteous brotherhood of the Common Polypody Polypodium vulgare) is looking down upon you from the summit of a beetling crag ; and yonder old pollard is crowned with a tuft, among which the carlet-leaved crane's-bill and blue-bells are waving lightly in the breeze of summer, and a little linnet is pouring forth his melody. There are many happy creatures among that tuft of Polypodies. See you not the sulphur -coloured but- terfly, and her sister with gorgeously tinted wings — a few industrious bees, singing at their work, and the emerald- coated beetle taking a nap among the lichens ? We will not, however, speak of these, but rather of ferns and the common Polypody — one of the best known and most abun

50 HANDY BOOK OF

dant. A friendly fern is this same Polypody — found in almost every hedge beside our paths, on the surface of storm-heaten rocks and deserted ruins, where it quickly succeeds such lichens and mosses as first established them- selves, where even the small Nailwort refuses to vege- tate.

The roots are brown, and occasionally clothed with a thick pile ; the rhizoma is brown also, having a densely- covered skin or cuticle, which dries and peels off after a year's growth, leaving the rhizoma delicately smooth — a peculiarity rarely observable in ferns.

Leaves of the common Polypody are generally uniform ; variations, however, occasionally occur, and should be noticed by the botanist : for this purpose we recommend a small book, with white paper, and pencil, to be carried in the pocket. As a specimen of the practice, we copy a note by Newman, transferred into his admirable "History of British Ferns :" —

" The common Polypody is somewhat parasitic, preferring the stem of a tree, or the half-decayed stumps of hazel and whitethorn bushes — over these its creeping rhizoma delights to wander. In the South of England it ascends the loftiest trees ; and in Epping Forest I have often seen it orna- menting, with its bright green fronds, heads of the pollard hornbeams, when the wintry blast has stripped them of their summer verdure.

" In England this fern has insinuated itself into the mortar of our walls, houses, churches, and bridges ; into our hedgerows also, and has become, in a manner, domes- ticated, yet does not enjoy such a perfect freedom as amid the humid, rocky, and shady dingles of Kerry and Wicklow."

Memorandums of the kind are readily made — they pre- serve the memory of favourite haunts, where grew the finest specimens, and when read to others may become suggestive of similar pursuits and pleasures.

FERXS AND MOSSES. 51

This fern, though, universally distributed, is, in our minds, particularly associated with the remembrance of Windsor Castle. Large tufts attracted our attention on the walls of the old Keep, where James of Scotland, the poet king, passed his dolorous captivity during the reign of Henry IY. They sprung, if we mistake not, from a fissure near the window from whence the captive looked down on the lady of his love,* when all unconsciously she gathered flowers in the small garden that extended at the base of the stern old fortress.

Hark to the rushing sound of the waterfall ! its white foam may be seen among the trees, and far beneath our pathway. Tread carefully, — the bank is very steep, and though covered with brushwood and brambles, its sides are nearly perpendicular, and a false step might send you into the racing stream. Now we are safe, and can stand securely . on the old bridge, which, as antiquaries tell, led from one kingdom of the Saxon heptarchy to another. Look over the parapet — the whirl of the eddying torrent is almost bewil- dering ; but calmly grows that beautiful tuft of fern above the raging waters — the fern of waterfalls! to which the unmeaning name of Beech-fern (Polypodium pliegopteris of authors) is applied. Why, we cannot tell: for this re- markably graceful and well-marked fern has rarely, if ever, been found beneath the shade of beech trees. It grows in damp localities, on dripping rocks, or in cavernous recesses, and within the spray of falling waters, where its wiry rhizoma, tough and uniformly creeping, often forms a network over perpendicular rocks.

The species are widely diffused. In this country, the mountainous districts of Lancashire and Yorkshire, West- moreland, Cumberland, Durham, and Northumberland, -are its favourite icsorts ; growing also near the town of Lud- low, renowned in Border history. In Scotland, Wales, and

* Daughter of the Duke of Somerset,

HANDY BOOK OF

Ireland, not a mountain rill nor waterfall but owns this favourite fern — on mountains, too, where clouds congregate, and among huge unsheltered masses of rocks raged over by

BEECH FEKN*.

storms. Those who visit the Pass of Glencoe and Loch. Katrine — the one with its dread records of crime and misery, the other smiling in perfect beauty — may notice this graceful fern as not unfrequent in both localities.

The Beech-fern, on account of its humid haunts, is somewhat difficult to cultivate in a Fernery. Newman, however, adopted a most ingenious expedient with com- plete success. He suspended above the fern a vessel con- taining water, which he allowed to drop slowly on a stone or flat tile contiguous to the plant ; the fronds were in con- sequence kept moist i»y the mimic spray that rebounded from the surface.

FERNS AND MOSSES. 53

That man may justly be considered a benefactor to his species who opens or facilitates new sources of enjoyment, equally with him who causes wheat to grow where it never grew before. "We hail the simple expedient of the drip- ping vessel as eminently calculated to induce the posses- sors of small outlets to beautify them with such ferns as require shade and moisture — to go forth among the lanes and woods at intervals of leisure, and derive enjoyment from the healthy recreations that are within their reach.

Think not to meet with the Woodsia ihensis, and W. hyperborca, the Polypodium arronicum of Withering, either in England or Ireland. In "Wales the genus is rare, even on Snowdon ; Dr. Richardson gathered it from a moist black rock nearly at the top of Clogwyn y Garnedd, facing north-west, and directly above the lower lake. Glyder Vawr (or the Hill of Tempests), and Clogwyn y Garnedd, in Carnarvonshire, afford isolated specimens. In Scotland it seems restricted to Perthshire, Ben Lawers, Forfarshire, and the Clova mountains.

For the sake of travellers whose summer or autumn excursions may lead them to those parts, we shall mention that the roots are long, fibrous, and brown ; the rhizoma tufted, brown, slightly scaly ; the young fronds, or leaves, appear in May, and continue green till September or Octo- ber. The shape of the frond is linear, or strap-shaped — lanceolate, or spear-shaped— and pinnate, which term has been already explained ; the pinna? are attached by their stems only — they are indented, but not pinnatifid.

In the absence of specimens, we avail ourselves of New- man's admirable delineations of this rare fern.

Fig. 1 represents two pinna? detached and magnified ; the upper shows the masses of theca? in their natural position ; the lower exhibits the veins, and the points of attachment of the thecse at their extremities, the theca? themselves being removed.

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Fig. 1.

Sadler, who considers the Woodsia ilvcnsis and TF. liyper- borea as distinct, thus characterizes them : —

FERNS AXD ilOSSES. 55

W. Jiyperborea. — " Frond linear, lanceolate, pinnate — under surface clothed with soft hairs ; pinnse nearly ovate, obtuse at the base, unequally cuneate, nearly sessile (or stalkless), obtusely lobato-pinnatifid ; masses of thecsc becoming nearly confluent, or running one into the other ; stripes smooth ; rachis pilose."

W. ilrensis. — "Frond oblong, pinnate — hairy beneath ; pinnso opposite, lanceolate, pinnatifid — the lobes oblong, obtuse, lower ones spreading ; masses of theca? confluent ; stripes and rachis scaly -villose, or soft-haired. A small portion of the rachis is naked, the veins irregularly distri- buted, the mid- vein is not to be traced without difficulty, no single vein appearing superior to the rest, none reach- ing the margin, and each at its extremity bearing a mass of thecse."

We have recommended the introduction of different kinds of moss in Ferneries, both on account of their beauty and utility. Nature places them together ; wherever the fern spreads forth her ample fronds, there the simple moss nestles beneath their shade — the one shelters her humble friend from the fierce beams of a noonday sun — the other gratefully protects the roots of her benefactress from drought, by imbibing and retaining whatever moisture is afforded by night-dews ; a fact thus beautifully exemplified in the following admirable lines : —

FERXS AJTD MOSSES; OR, THE LINKS BY WHICH SOCIETY IS HELD TOGETHER.

There was fern on. the mountain and moss on the moor — The ferns were the rich and the mosses the poor ; And the glad breeze hlew gaily — from heaven it came — And the fragrance it shed over each was the same ; And the warm sun shone brightly, and gilded the fern, And smiled on the lowly-born moss in its turn ; And the cool dews of night on the mountain-fern fell, And they glisten'd upon the green mosses as well.

56 HANDY BOOK OF

And the fern loved the mountain, the moss loved the moor, For the ferns were the rich, and the mosses the poor. But the keen blast blew bleakly, the sun waxed high — Oh ! the ferns they were broken, and withered, and dry, And the moss on the moorland grew faded and pale ; And the fern and the moss shrank alike from the gale. So the fern on the mountain, the moss on the moor, Were wither' d and black where they flourish' d before.

Then the fern and the moss they grew wiser in grief,

And each turned to the other for rest and relief ;

And they plann'd that wherever the fern-roots should grow,

There surely the moss must lie sparkling below.

And the keen blast blew bleakly, the sun waxed fierce —

But no winds and no sun to their cool roots could pierce.

For the fern threw her shadow the green moss upon, Where the dew ever sparkled undried by the sun ; When the graceful fern trembled before the keen blast, The moss guarded her roots till the storm-wind had pass'd. So no longer the wind parch'd the roots of the one, And the other was safe from the rays of the sun.

And thus, and for ever, where'er the ferns grow, There surely the mosses lie sparkling below ; And thus they both flourish where nought grew before, And both deck the woodland, the mountain, and moor.

JUNE.

"THE cave was very chill, and damp withal, And yet from out its lone depths shone a light So pure, unearthly, radiant, that no eye Might gaze unmoved upon it."

Extracts from our Note-Book.

June 4th. — Visited a lonely granitic cavern on Dartmoor. The entrance was difficult, somewhat dangerous, in conse- quence of heavy rains, which had occasioned a considerable

FEKNS AND MOSSES. 57

fall from the roof. Unlike caves in general, which arc often, snaded with high trees, and having clear streams flowing near, of which the gentle murmur is blended with the song of birds and whisperings of winds among the branches, Argol's Cave looked damp and cheerless, and was associated in our minds with Druidic superstitions and fallen cromlechs. The naturalist who ventured unad- visedly into that same cavern might have started back with some degree of apprehension ; for out of its recesses gleamed forth a softened and beautiful light, enhanced by the twi- light gloom that brooded within. This phenomenon, con- nected with peculiarity of structure, has its counterpart

LUMINOUS INMATE OF AKGOL S CAVE. — SMALL HIGHLY MAGNIFIED.

among birds and insects, in the exquisite plumage of the humming-bird, and the burnished wings of the opal beetle; among stones, in the Labrador feldspar, or the precious opal of Hungary. The light thus wondrously gleaming from off the humid soil resembled a carpet of burnished gold, and was seen to the greatest advantage at the distance of a few yards, more especially when beheld from a favourable angle of vision. On near inspection, a variety of closely-scattered stones formed the basement of Argol's cave ; they were covered with filmy irregular network, scarcely perceptible, from extreme delicacy of texture ; and the light which served to betray the lonely, lovely inmate of the cavern,

58 HANDY BOOK OF

was caused by rays of light concentrated by, and reflected from, the innumerable and inconceivably minute lenses of the leaves.

Botanists who visit Derbyshire during their summer excursions, may find the Hypnum lucens, or Shining Feather-moss, in the shady recesses of Rowter Rocks, a mile or two north of Winster. It grows in different situa- tions, among woods, wet ditches, and on moist banks and rocks.

Withering speaks of it as having trailing branches, egg- shaped, pointed, and flat ; leaves shining as if wet with dew ; fruit-stalks an inch and a half long ; capsules small for the size of the plant, somewhat oval, more or less nutant, dark brown; lid, spit-pointed; veil straight, sharp, whitish.

It occurs to us that the mild golden green light in Argol's cave is emitted by some species of conferva— unless, indeed, the shining Feather-moss is greatly deteriorated in size by its gloomy habitat.

Luminous plants produce an inexpressibly pleasing effect in their lone and desolate growing-places. Counsellor Erhman spoke of them with enthusiasm, when, having descended into one of the Swedish mines, he saw those vegetable glow-worms gleaming along its walls, or spark- ling in some obscure recess. Caverns in the granitic rocks of Bohemia are often beautifully decked with a species of luminous moss ; and our own coal-mines occasionally exhi- bit a light sufficiently clear to admit of reading by its aid. But nowhere, perhaps, is the effect produced by vegetable phosphorescence so exquisitely beautiful as in the mines of Hesse, in the north of Germany, where the walls of tho air-galleries appear as if illuminated with a pale light, resembling that of moonbeams when stealing through crevices into some gloomy recess, from which all of vegeta- ble beauty is excluded. None, an looking on the fairy gleams that pervade the Hessian mines, could imagine for a

FEKNTS AND MOSSES. «ib

moment from whence the glancing lights proceeded ; they would attribute them rather to some peculiarity in the strata of which the mine is composed, or to a kind of glis- tening spar that reflects the light of day. And yet that phosphorescence has a vegetable origin, an emblem, we have thought, of those gentle and retiring ones who render cheerful homes that have nought else of gladness to com- mend them, who shed the light of their pure examples OA'er the moral gloom by which they are enveloped.

Dartmoor abounds in mosses of all shapes, and tints of green ; those which delight in arid places find their dwell- ings on rocks and scarry banks, on cromlechs, and huge rocking-stones, fixed by time or accident ; such as thrive best in moisture grow profusely beside the racing streams that water its wide expanse ; old trees uphold to light and air others of a pendulous character ; while not a few remain contentedly on maternal earth. Among these the Hypnum MJrtcwMj or Soft-ribbed Feather-moss — though occasionally affecting the trunks of trees and walls, carpets wide spaces on the moor, and exhibits the richness and softness of silk. When growing on the trunks and branches of trees, it may be scarcely removed entire, its small roots adhering so firmly to the bark; the leaves are soft and shining, slender, closely tiled, and ending in long hairs ; the branches mostly point one way, with long, creeping, crowded shoots ; the capsules are long, nearly cylindrical, but thickest at the base ; and though minute, the fringe which surrounds the distinctly-formed mouth is white, with a beaked lid, and pale-coloured veil.

Xone among British mosses are more pleasing to the eye, both in form and colour, than the Hypnum purum, or

otless Silky Feather-moss, common among woods, on

]>,..., and in meadows. Dartmoor is one of its common

habitats ; it grows equally in places open to the sun, and

ade of those few memorial trees that linger

in their loneliness and sterility, where once extended a

GO HAKDY ROOK OF

vast brotherhood of stately trunks and intermingling branches.

The species may be readily known byits peculiarly sleek appearance, by its freedom from dirt, and its long cylin- drical-winged scaly shoots, as also by being a span long in wet, but shorter in dry places. The leaves are thin and soft, smooth, and rather shining, and when dry, crumpled. This fine moss derives its name of spotless from the pecu- liarity already noticed.

June 9th. — A deeply interesting day. Gathered tufts of the Pendulous Feather-moss (//. curtij3endulum)from a dwarf oak in Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor.

Wistman's Wood is associated with the most ancient records of our country. Its dwarf oak-trees, widely and wildly scattered, arise from out the interstices of granite masses that lie scattered in all directions, or else grow among them. Those trees, once stately and umbrageous, sprung most probably from the roots of such as were destroyed by fire, when many a widely-extended forest was cut down or burnt in winter, in order to dispossess the wild beasts and outlaws that sought their covert* Those stunted-looking trees, exposed to the continual action of bleak winds that rush howling past the precipitous descent on which Jhey grow, have lost their upper branches, and look as if shortened of half their height ; few, if any, are more than ten or twelve feet high ; but though deprived of their 'natural beauty with respect to height, such branches as still remain hare spread far and wide, twisting 'in the most fantastic manner, and festooned with ivy and creeping plants. Their trunks are also thickly imbedded in a covering of moss, and seem of enormous thickness in proportion to their height ; but such is not the case, their apparent size is owing merely to the rich garniture that envelopes them. The moss by wiuJi they are invested, and which occasions stunted branches not larger than the wrist to equal in apparent size the trunks of giant oaks, is simply the Pendulous Feather-moss in its

TEKXS AND 310SSES. 61

fullest development, growing from eight to twelve inches long, and producing thecse in the greatest profusion. The same species also affects the trunks of beeches in woods ; it may be found on stumps in Enfield Forest near Southgate, and in Yorkshire ; on large stones scattered over the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, and on. the heights of Snowdon.

Those who go in search of the Pendulous Feather-moss among the blasted oaks of Dartmoor will do well to remem- ber, that though wearied with the toil of climbing the rocky path that leads to "Wistman's "Wood, they may not sit down to rest on the immense masses of granite around and beneath the trees, cushioned though they be with the thickest and softest moss, lest they should disturb a nest of adders. Of this an old man warned us who served as a guide across the moor. "When thinking of the awful rites that were carried on by Druids among the groves of Dartmoor, when Baal and Ashtaroth were propitiated at early dawn, we could not help imagining that somewhat of the curse denounced on such unhallowed places rested on the site of the old oaks. " Ser- pents hiss there — the shepherd does not make his fold there, and the bittern screams amid its desolation." This was literally true. Nothing could exceed its sterile aspect, not a moving object met the eye — no sound was heard except the rushing of waters and the cry of a solitary bittern flyir g towards the valley of the Dart.

June Wth. — Sought for some time the Hypnum bryoides, or Bryum-like Feather-moss, which grows mostly in shady places, woods, and ditch-banks. Found at length a small brotherhood on the margin of a stream, which having for- saken its usual channel in consequence of a pebbly accumu- lation that hindered its onward progress, wasted itself upon the grass.

This kind of hypnum is very small, but distinguished by its capsules, edged at the mouth with a deep red fringe. Linnoous speaks of it as the smallest of the genus. The

62 HANDY BOOK OF

shoots are two or three lines in length ; the leaflets seven or eight pair ; fruit-stalks long or longer than the shoots, gene - rally solitary, reddish ; leaves green, not pellucid ; capsules small, upright, oblong, green ; veil very small, greenish ; lid scarlet ; mid-rib of the leaflets pellucid.

The growing-place of this minute hypnum had much of grandeur and sublimity. A vast plain extended on all sides, looking in the distance like a desolate wilderness, or rather as an ocean after a storm, heaving in large swells, and yet presenting on a nearer view an almost endless continuation of narrow valleys, of lofty hills and craggy rocks, strewn either in their depth or far up their sides with enormous masses of huge stones.

Ili/pnum, triguetrum and undulatum, equally affect the dissimilar localities of Dartmoor. The first, Great Triangular Feather-moss, abounds upon the roots of trees, and on dry pebbly banks ; the other, which bears the name of Waved Feather-moss, prefers shady places, woods, and moist rocks, or the top of Snowdon. This fine species differs essentially from the rest of its genus, by having white, membranous, and undulated leaves, and still more remarkably from all its British congeners, by furrowed capsules. It is a span long, lying flat ; the leaflets are closely tiled, in a double or triple series ; the fruit-stalks long, slender, reddish ; veil, straw- coloured, with a brown spot at the end ; the leaves are tender, pellucid, smooth, shining, pale green, and not chang- ing colour when dry.

The Triguetrum presents a widely different appearance, indicating that it dwells low upon the ground. The branches are unequal ; the leaves broad, triangular, not keeled, tender, pellucid, pointed, pale green when growing ; involucrum ridged, oblong, composed of reflected scales, sometimes two or three together ; fruit- stalks seldom more than an inch high ; capsules upright, thin, when ripe thicker, leaning, and crooked. The whole plant spreads to a foot in length, reddish, elastic, rising upwards, often growing upright,

AND MOSSES. G3

although the branches frequently bend towards the ground, where their extremities strike and take root.

In this respect the humble Feather-moss resembles its giant relative (the Ficus Indica of Hindostan and Cochin - China), of which the lateral branches, sending down shoots which take root in the earth, compose a grove that often covers a wide area. "We use the term relative — though one grows low, and may be trodden upon by every passer-by, and the other rises to a commanding height — because all vegetables are related, individuals of one great family ; and what the Banian is to those who walk beneath its branches, whether Hindoo, Chinese, or European, so is the unassuming Feather-moss to insects that find a home and storehouse within its precincts. And if it be allowable to apply lines descriptive of that vast and peculiar Banian to its lowly brother, we may say with equal truth —

" Many a long depending shoot,

Seeking to strike its root,

Straight, like a plummet, grows toward the ground ; Some on the lower boughs which cross their way, Fixing their bearded fibres round and round, "With many a ring and wild contortion wound ; Some to the passing wind, at times with sway Of gentle motion swung."

June llth. — A rainy day, yet passed pleasantly in spread- ing out the mosses which we had gathered between sheets of blotting-paper, and then laying upon them a heavy weight. Travellers are not provided in this respect, but we found an excellent substitute in a board borrowed from the landlady of our little inn, and this we covered with stones. Besides our note-book, we had taken the pre- caution of bringing another with blotting-paper sheets about the same size ; and these, with tin cases for holding ferns or mosses, were all that we required for our botanical excursion.

June 12th. — "Went forth again upon the moor. The

64 HANDY BOOK OF

heavy rain, of yesterday swelled many a wayside stream that flashed and sparkled in the sunbeams, and every blado of glass was surcharged with rain-drops. Light- wreathing mists arose from off the moor— now flying up the hills — now chasing each other across the valleys — now seeming to open, and to present long vistas of rock and dingle, to which the beams of a cloudless sun imparted the magic of aerial tints and hues.

Our path led across one of the wildest portions of Dart- moor. A tiny rill, rising in solitude and silence, had swelled into a stream, and the stream, as it flowed on, received the contributions of other streams, which at length in their congregated might became powerful and rapid. Athwart this stream stretched one of those primitive bridges which our rnde forefathers had most probably erected ; the racing torrent rushed impetuously beneath, bounding over vast masses of stone, and falling in foaming sheets oC dazzling whiteness. But though old and lichen-dotted, and grey with age, that same old bridge was beloved of flowers; the blue forget-me-not, the harebell, the golden saxifrage, with red crane-bills, and yellow snapdragons, looked down in .beautiful companionship on the hurrying waters. Among these were several small ferns of con- siderable beauty — the Brittle-fern especially, which is fond of bridges, and establishes itself in the interstices of their stones. This plant, equally elegant and fragile, is much sought after ; the genus to which it belongs was established by Bernhardi, who, having rejected the previous names of Cystea, Polypodium, Aspidium, Cyclopteris, gave it that of Cystopterisfragilis, or Brittle-fern.

On referring to Newman's " History of British Ferns," we observed that the name thus given appears to have been adopted by nearly all subsequent botanists — that the genus contains a limited number of species, which, although of wide dispersion, are restricted mostly to old walls and buildings, or dry stony places ; it may be that a torrent

FEKXS AND MOSSES.

65

dashes beneath, or else beside them, as in the instance just cited ; but then the roots are firmly fixed among stones or pebbles. Such plants as pertain to this fragile genus are of small size, of erect and elegant growth, and remarkably brittle. " One species only belongs to this country, and on this much labour and ingenuity have been expended, in the

^ytM%4

&

?'l>

V1

rtrt

BRITTLE FERN.

hope that some of the most remarkable of its Protean fronds may be exalted to the dignity of species." Thus far the naturalist of Godalming, who has beautifully delineated many a wild occupant of wood or roek.

We rejoice to find the Potytrichum aculeatum, or Com- mon Prickly-fern, in one isolated spot ; the more especially because this fern, though universally distributed, seems to delight in the neghbourhood of man, itp favourite habitat being hedgerows, and the vicinity of cultivated fields ; when sown by winds on moors, or the sides of mountains, it rarely attains its full development ; and he who sees the Common Prickly-fern growing luxuriantly in .a hedgerow, beside some way-side cottage, would scarcely recognise it in a desolate and unpeopled district. The same fern, however, grew luxuriantly in one of the wildest parts of Dartmoor. " Perhaps," we said, while looking at it, "men TO ay have dwelt here in ages long past, and these friendly ferns, watching on the sight of some deserted home, continue as memorials of the past."

6(» HAXDY BOOK 01'

Few of the fern tribe are more pleasing to the ere. The young fronds become developed in April and May ; the apex is circinnate (or bent backwards), and remarkably grace- ful ; the pinnas are also bent backwards. The whole plant attains its full expansion in July, and the seed appears to ripen in September. Unlike the generality of their brother-

1. COMMON TKICKTA'-FEHX.

hood, Prickly-ferns are decidedly evergreen, and continue throughout the year, uninjured by hard frosts and driving storms ; they even linger on till late in the succeeding summer, like the members of some patriarchal family who dwell peaceably together. Hence it happens, not un- frequently, that four generations are attached to the same root, equally green and nourishing, yet naturally producing leaves of a widely different character. Even experienced botanists have therefore been somewhat puzzled by dis- similarities, which have suggested the idea of different species.

Four forms are assigned to the Common Prickly-fern. Newman, however, considers that three only can be reckoned ; and these he comprises in a single species, to which he assigns theLinu-sean name of Aculeatitm, terming the different forms merely varieties. Thus : —

Tar. 1. — "Angular type: frond doubly pinnate; pin- nulsc ovate, bluntish, stalked, and auricled at the base ; the whole plant light, feathery, graceful, and extremely flexible." Figured as No. 1.

FERNS ASD MOSSES.

(57

2. ASPIDIUM ANGULARE of 3. POLYPODIUM ACULEATUM

Smith and Hooker. of the "English Flora."

Var. 2. — " Lobate typo : frond doubly pinnate ; pinnulac pointed, decurrent, serrated — tlie formost of tbc lower pair

68 HAOTY JJOOK OF

on each pinna very large, and pointing to the hard apex of the frond ; the whole plant rigid, heavy, compact, and un- bending ; growing in general horizontally." Figured hy No. 2.

Far. 3. — " Lonchitiform type: frond simply pinnate; pinnso stalked, undivided, piickly ; habit weak, flexible, pendulous." Figured as No. 3.

June \\tli. — Specimens carefully placed within the leaves of our blotting-book; and the book itself closely tied together. Farewell to Dartmoor ! with its rocks and cairns, its rushing streams, and contrasted scenery.

" Dartmoor ! thou wast to us in childhood's hour A wild and wondrous region. Day by day Arose upon our youthful eye thy belt Of hills— mysterious, shadowy, clasping all The green and cheerful landscape, sweetly spread Around our haunts; and with a stern delight We gazed on thee. How often on the speech. • t

Of thy half-savage peasant have we hung, To hear of rock-crown'd heights, on which the cloud For ever rests, and wilds stupendous swept By mightiest storms ; of glen, and gorge, and cliff Terrific, beetling o'er the stone-strew'd vale : And giant masses, by the midnight flash Struck from the mountain's lofty brow, and hurl'd Into the foaming torrents !"

CARRINGTON.

FEKNS AND MOSSES. 69

JULY.

" Green the land is where my daily

Steps in jocund childhood play'd — Dimpled close with hill and valley, Dappled every close with shade ; Summer-snow of apple blossoms, running up From glade to glade."

ELIZABETH BARRETT.

BACK to our own cottage home, mid glens and waterfalls, where grow most of the ferns and mosses which we found on Dartmoor ! Who that have travelled forth in quest of knowledge, — Nature's pilgrims, visiting each shrine and dwelling-place of the rarest or loveliest of her offspring, — do not remember the delight with which their hooks con- taining specimens were opened, and how vividly arose before their mental view the rock, or stream, or bank, the solitary glen or woodside, from whence they gathered the plant, the fern, or moss, which they had journeyed far to find?

Such were our feelings as we carefully removed our ferns and mosses, looking on them with somewhat of pride, when noticing that not even the smallest pinnae had been injured in drying, nor yet a single root distorted from its place. Then came the pleasure of arranging them, of assigning the mosses to our moss-books, and the ferns to occupy the pages of a larger volume ; the writing of their names and where they grew, with such botanic memoranda concerning cromlechs and old rocking-stones, ancient bridges across racing torrents, and the trees of "YVistman's Wood, as brought up pleasant memories of our rambles on that wild moor, which has no parallel in British scenery. / We gave you, botanical friends, drawings of the ferns, but one wet day did not suffice for delineating such mosses

70 HANDY UOOK OF

as we gathered. Accept them now, for we are at home again, and have abundant leisure for the employment of oui' pencil. But first let us consider the component parts of these small plants, and reflect for a brief space on their admirable construction.

Observe those urn or vase-shaped vessels, on the summit of stems or peduncles arising from among green foliage ! They contain innumerable seeds, which are either sown by

winds when ripe, or scattered immediately upon the earth, and the base of the upholding stem, closely examined, dis- covers a sheath of scaly leaves. Those leaves were all- important to the welfare of the plant ; before the peduncle springs up to light and air, they serve as a kind of calynx to protect the embryo fruit, and bear the name of sheath or perichctium : a capsule, b pedicle, c sheath. Observe, also, two important parts connected with the capsule, before the period when it splits open and its contents are scattered abroad — d the operculum or lid, which closes the mouth, and e the calyptra or veil, which covers both the lid and capsule like a conical roof; / is the fringe or peristome (peristomiwn), which becomes apparent when the seeds being fully ripe no longer require protection, and the casting

IVEUNS AXD MOSSES. « I

off of the lid discovers the opening, which is generally ornamented by a circle of saw -like teeth.

Mosses are exquisitely varied, and many of the stems which uphold flowers containing one or 'more stamens, but no pistils, have a star-like appearance at the top. Beautiful in their minuteness, they form interesting objects for the microscope ; their serrated and ribbed leaves are uniformly thin, pellucid, and veined like network; the roots are fibrous ; and not unfrequently both stems and branches throw out fine roots whenever they come in contact with the earth, or any supporting substance. Some few are so exquisitely fine as to require a high magnifier in order to discover their various parts ; yet even these have stems and capsules, and occasionally present the appearance of fairy trees ; more generally they are from one to three inches high, though the great Hair-moss (Polytrichum commune), and some kinds of bog-moss, which grow in watery places, are nearly two feet in height.

Obtain a microscope, if you wish to study mosses atten- tively, and to become acquainted with the most delicate species ; one with a simple lens will magnify sufficiently, and for this purpose we recommend Ellis's aquatic micro- scope, according to the suggestion of Dr. Drummond. If, on the contrary, you are contented with less close investiga- tions, a common magnifying glass, purchased for a few shillings, will suffice. Thus will a new world be opened to your minds ; and many a moss or lichen-dotted stone that would otherwise be passed unheeded will become suggestive of much that is worthy of regard.

Ireland has been deservedly called the paradise of mosses ; some of the most beautiful species grow there abundantly beneath the shade of trees in marshes, and beside water- falls ; the Fontinalls antipyretica, or Greater Water-moss, especially, which delights in the neigbourhood of cataracts, and flourishes the most where a racing stream eddies eside its growing place, and tosses on high its billowy spray.

72 HANDY BOOK OF

Such as grow in tropical regions prefer the shade of rocks, especially when assigned to alpine heights, where the tem- perature of the climate is rendered moderate by their elevation.

The brotherhood, like most of their cryptogamic relatives, are tenacious of life ; even when apparently dead, a shower presently revives them. They thrive, too, in places un- favourable for general vegetation ; and hence, wherever a wandering sunbeam enters, or breezes gain access, some tiny moss, it may be, finds a home. You may discover them equally in cold, damp caverns, and in fissures among rocks, or on walls open to the sun.

"Wonderful it is, that when some species are subjected to great drought at the time appointed for ripening their seeds, they acquire the property of absorbing and retaining moisture, like succulent plants ; the process of ripening consequently advances rapidly, even if the heavens deny rain, and the earth is hard as iron. But though assigned to different regions of the globe, and various growing places in this country, they generally affect temperate and cold regions, and often, in companionship with lichens, present the last trace of vegetation towards the limits of perpetual snow. Their uses are multifarious — they protect young plants and seeds during the heat of summer, and in the depths of winter, and form retreats for insects and small animals. Travellers who explore the vast forests that ex- tend far north, relate that the trunks and branches of the trees are covered with mosses, especially on the northern side ; and that by means of these natural indications, those who traverse them in quest of animals readily find their way.

Abundant in mountainous countries — rare on plains ;

• somewhat restricted, also, in its localities, the only station

where this moss has been discovered in the eastern angle of

Great Britain, is on the sandy waste near Yarmouth. The

dark and almost blackish green, cylindrical, and straggling,

KEKNS AND MOSSES.

73

though somewhat pinnate stems of the shining Feather- moss, are very peculiar. Hooker speaks of gathering it in the wildest parts of Dartmoor, at least eight or ten inches long, and in a fine state of fructification.

H. Purum. — Leaves closely imbricated, oval, with a very short point, concave, their nerve reaching half-way up; capsule ovate ; lid conical.

H. Lucens. — Leaves ovate, nerve disappearing belour the point ; fruit stalks long ; capsule ovate.

We cannot, perhaps, do better than occupy the remain- ing pages with observations transcribed from our note- books, relative to such ferns as we have gathered in our botanic rambles, whether near our home, or in distant localities.

74 HANDY BOOK OF

H. LUCENS.

The Marsh-fern or Lastraa thelypteris ; Polypodium thelypteris of Withering, Lightfoot, Berkenhout, and Hud- son, and bearing at least four names assigned by botanists, is one of our rarest and most local species. It abounds in wet and marshy grounds, and moist woods and bogs, where its black, slender, and wiry rhizoma often creeps to a wide extent. The roots are also dark, fibrous, and, in some in- stances, very long ; they frequently penetrate to a con- siderable depth, while the rhizoma spreads widely and horizontally.

This local species is unknown in Wales and Scotland, and in Ireland is generally believed to be restricted to the county of Antrim, near the north-east coast of Lough Neagh.

" On Lough Neagh's banks, where the fisherman strays,

When the clear cold eve's declining,

And sees the round tower of other days

In the stream heneath him shining."

Throughout England, the localities of the Marsh-fern are widely spread, but universally of a moist and humid cha- racter. Learmouth Bogs, in Northumberland, are con- sequently its favourite resort ; as also marshy places in Cheshire; Whittlesea Mere, Cambridgeshire; Filsby, Ormsby, Bolton Bay, Horning Marshes, Kent; Norfolk;

PERNS AND MOSSES. tO

Ham Pond, near Sandwich, where it luxuriates in the meadows, and banishes all other ferns from the neighbour- ing wood ; those who visit the Isle of Wight, will find this marsh-loving fern near Fresh- water Gate.

For the sake of botanists who may be somewhat puzzled

MARSH FERN.

when referring to "Withering's Arrangement of British Plants, pp. 995, 996, we subjoin a concise description of the Marsh-fern, extracted from the History of British Ferns, being anxious rather to avail ourselves of the aid afforded by that valuable work, than to rely exclusively on our own judgment.

76

HANDY BOOK OP

Some of the fronds are barren, others fertile. The former rising from the bog in May, the latter in July — they both disappear with the first frosts of winter. The frond is lan- ceolate and pinnate ; the lowermost pinnae are shorter than, the third and fourth pairs ; they are attached by their

VEINS AND THEC.E.

stalk only ; about one-third of the rachis is without pinnae ; the pinnae are pinnatind, the pinnulse rounded, and always entire ; the whole plant is erect, very slender, delicate, and fragile ; it is of a pale green colour ; in size varying con- siderably, in some instances even to four times the usual dimensions. The fertile fronds are uniformly larger and of stronger growth than the barren.

The lateral veins are alternate ; they are forked almost immediately on leaving the mid-vein, and each proceeds to the margin of the pinnula, bearing a circular mass of thecae almost directly after the fork. Each mass of seeds has, in an early state of the plant, a small subreniform indusium attached on one side to the vein, at the point to which the stalks of the thecoe arc affixed.

KEENS ATS'D MOSSES.

77

Green grows the Mountain-fern, on many a lordly ridge and herbleps crag, in quarries, and where clouds congregate :

V^*"

MOUNTAIN FERX.

tiiroughout North Wales, therefore, high mountain ranges are often covered with its widely-spreading fronds ; and so

7M HANDY BOOK OF

abundant are the brotherhood among the highlands of Scotland, as often to take the place of the Eagle-fern. We have gathered it in many of the northern English counties : on the Glee Hills in Shropshire, and near Matlock. North- amptonshire, though generally unfavourable for the growth of ferns, cherishes this wild species in some of its localities, and botanists speak of having found it both in Hereford- shire and Oxfordshire. In Wiltshire, on the contrary, Mountain-ferns are scarce, though indigenous to Somer- setshire, Kent and Sussex, Norfolk, Essex, and Middlesex, among which Tunbridge Wells, Epping Forest, and Hamp- stead Heath, are very accessible to Fern collectors.

Withering speaks of the Mountain-fern under the appel- tion of Poly-podium Orcopteris ; Hudson and Berkenhout give it the simple name of Fragrans ; Bolt-on, that of Thelypteris ; other botanists, Aspidium.

A peculiar characteristic pertains to this interesting species, namely, yellowish resinous glands, spreading over the back of the leaves ; they inhale a fragrant scent, which induced Hudson to regard them as the P. fragrans of Linnarus.

This graceful fern is pleasantly associated in our remem- brance with the Clee Hills in Shropshire, covered with wild thyme, and ranged over by innumerable bees, when gather- ing their honey harvests. We have counted twenty, or even thirty leaves, encircling a common centre ; and among them the wild hyacinth often lifted up her peerless blue- bells, as if grateful for their shelter. It was pleasant to go forth from day to day, and watch the gradual unrolling of the leaves ; to observe how accurately the pinna) were placed at right angles with the rachis ; while the swallow, obedient to the voice of spring, darted swiftly through the heavens, and the skylark soared and warbled in his up- ward flight. Ferns and blue-bells, the lark and swallow, were then to us as monitors, noting the beauty and the order of reation ; each in its little sphere obedient to the

FERNS AND MOSSES. 70

elements, and communing with, them ; each one unfolding or arriving, or attuning its heaven-taught minstrelsy in accordance with unalterable laws, which have never changed since the round earth emerged from chaos in its glory and its beauty, and went on its way rejoicing amid kindred worlds.

Little or no variation occurs in the figure of the frond or leaf. It is uniformly elongate, lance-shaped, regularly pinnate, acute or sharp-pointed at the end, and gradually diminishing from about two-thirds of its length to the base, the lower pinna) being remarkably short — a peculiarity which sufficiently distinguishes it from all other ferns. A small portion only of the rachis is bare, and covered with scales. The pinnse are linear, acute at the apex, somewhat distant, deeply pinnatifid, and affixed to the rachis only by their stalks; the pinnulce are rounded, and slightly crenate.

OF THE MOUNTAIN FEKX.

The veins present a simple alternate series, ceasing before they reach the margin ; circular and naked thecre are borne by each, and yet occasionally the veins divide nearly at their* termination, in which case each division reveals a separate mass. These masses, varying on cither side fror.'

80 HANDY BOOK OK

five to ten in number, form regular and nearly marginal series, extremely ornamental, and presenting pleasing ob- jects for the microscope.

AUGUST.

" I cannot but think the very complacency and satisfaction which a man takes in these works of Nature, to be a laudable, if not a vir- tuous habit of mind."

ADDISON.

THE geography of plants is a subject of the deepest interest, suggestive, too, of pleasant thoughts, and often bringing be- fore the mental view remembrances of bygone days, when rambling through woods and vales, by streams and over breezy commons, some long sought-for plant was discovered in its own lone habitat. We speak not of that perfect order which pervades the universe, concerning the assignment of vegetable tribes or families to regions far remote — of the bread-fruit and the palm to sunny climes, and fir-trees to cold inhospitable lands — of plants invaluable to mariners, among otherwise sterile rocks, in seas where men go in quest of whales. Our attention is directed rather to exemplifica- tions of the same arrangement, conspicuous in this country and its sister island ; and of this the Trichomanes speciosurn of Willdenow, or the T. alatum of Withering, affords a striking instance.

The Bristle-Fern, for such is its familiar name, is one of the most interesting and local of British species. .Newman reports it as utterly unknown in England, Wales, and Scot- land—«,s growing sparingly in the county of Wicklow, at Hermitage Glen and Power's Court Waterfall, though at neither of these localities has more than a single specimen been discovered ; luxuriantly near Youghal, Glendine, in the county of Cork, and equally so at Turk's Waterfall, near

FERNS AND MOSSES. 81

Turk Lake, Killarney. The same naturalist gathered speci- mens of great beauty to the left of the site whence tourists obtain the first view of the fall. He tells us, that about fif- teen yards higher up the stream, a rocky bank projects into the river, which can only be approached by leaping from stone to stone, amid the racing torrent and deafening roar

BRISTLE-FERN.

and spray of the descending waters. Friendly roots and branches aided the adventurous botanist in climbing up to the wild growing place of the beauteous Trichomanes, who dwelt securely on a rocky bank, her dark green fronds dripping and begemmed with sparkling drops, shining and glittering in the sunbeams. Thus cherished, amid rocks and waterfalls, grows the fern of which we speak, sought for in vain amid green fields and on village commons, where the eye-bright and the cistus, the twayblade and bee-flower, open to the purest air of heaven.

The roots of this rare plant, equally with its rhizoma, bear a considerable resemblance to those of the Polypodium vul- gare, or common Polypody. The latter is black, velvety,

a

82 HANDY BOOK OF

tough, and of great length, occasionally many yards, and often forming a kind of net- work on the perpendicular sur- face of damp rocks, Avhich afford no kind of hold to the widely-diffused roots. This is the character of the fern when favourably situated for its full development ; other and smaller plants are mentioned as possessing more root and less rhizoraa, the former of which were fixed in a thin layer of earth, where a brotherhood of mosses grew luxuriantly.

The leaves appear in summer, yet rarely before August, and seldom attain to maturity till late in October, when the fronds of the previous year may be generally seen, dark coloured, but unfaded. Botanists who visit tropical regions speak of the genus Trichomanes, as comprising many rare and beautiful species. Go into the native woods, say they, of the West India islands, and observe how gracefully the trunks of noble trees are clothed with this elegant natural drapery. If you have hitherto passed unheedingly by the ferns of your own country, regardless of their symmetry and exquisite variety of form, it may be because of their unob- tru&iveness ; but you cannot withhold your admiration from those of exotic growth. They look down upon you from beetling crags — they cast deep shadows over your path — they often rise to a commanding height, waving and quiver- ing far above your heads, while such as clothe the trunks of giant trees, present in their forms and leaves some of the most beauteous developments of vegetable life.

When speaking of the British species, Sir T. E. Smith de- scribes the masses of thecse as being roundish, terminal, and imbedded in the margin or segment of the frond. Indusium urn-shaped, in texture similar to the frond, and continuous with it, forming one leaf dilated upwards, and opening out- wards, permanent. Thecae several, sessile, crowded at the base of a permanent cylindrical common receptacle, whose capillary naked point projects beyond the cover, each roundish, with two valves, and bounded by a vertical- j ointed ring.

FERNS AND MOSSES.

83

Such is the definition of the generic characters as given in the English Flora. The author of a History of British Ferns, to whom we have frequently referred, furnishes, how- over, a different description of the Bristle-fern, which, in justice to our readers, we shall transcribe, remembering how singularly different species of this interesting family are affected by wet or dry summers, or by dissimilarity of growing places.

" The mass of thecse is attached to the centre of a vein, after its ultimate division, and invariably to that one which is situated nearest the mid-vein of the frond, pinna, or pinnula, as the case may be. At the attachment of this mass of thecac, the wing loses its green and serai-mem- branous appearance ; its cuticles separate, and form an elongate, cup-shaped receptacle, which includes the mass of thecse. The vein itself, after bearing the theca?, runs through the receptacle, and projects considerably beyond its extremity, in the similitude of a bristle."

The Scaly -hart' s-tongne (Ceterach OJficinarum) has ever been my delight. It has no beauty to commend it, as

SCALY-HART'S-TONGUE.

figured above ; but when growing on walls and rocks, in company with the harebell and small snapdragon, its fre- quent companions, there is something indescribably pleasing

84 HANDY BOOK OP

in the aspect of this unassuming fern. Perhaps we love it the more because of gathering it in our youth, on many a summer holiday, from an old wall at Totnels, near Pains- wick, Gloucestershire. We knew little of rocks and xuins then ; but a legend of deep interest was associated with that lichen-covered wall, and its contiguous mansion, and it threw around the whole a kind o'f romance which vividly affected our young imaginations.

Since then, we have gathered the same fern in widely different localities, but never without a feeling somewhat akin to melancholy : for who can look back unmoved on the haunts of childhood ; and what powerful awakings up of past realities are often elicited by the simplest fern or flower !

Ye green ferns ani flowers,

Beloved in past hours, Ere the young heart hud yielded its gladness ;

We gaze on you still,

By the gush of the rill, In the depth of our spirit's lone sadness.

Thus sung a mournful poet ; but let us rather? rejoice in the beauties and wonders of creation ; and if, perchance, while looking at some plant or flower, such asi the eager hand of childhood gathered in its gladness, and tendered as a tribute of its love to those whom now the earth owns not, their freshness and up-springing may well remind us of that glorious morning when parted ones shall meet again, and this " mortal shall put on immortality."

Unlike the Bristle-fern, which is locally res'iricted, the fern that gave rise to this digression very genei ally occurs in the south-western counties of England and .Ireland, al- though of rare occurrence in the midland ai i northern counties ; and in Scotland is to be met with 01 ly at Dun- donald, near Paisley, and at the carse of Gowri i, according to the testimony of Dr. Young, and Mr. Jam 33 Macnab,

FE11NS AND MOSSES. 85

curator of the Horticultural Society's Experimental Garden at Edinburgh.

We shall transcribe the various localities of the Scaly- hart's-tongue, for the sake of young botanists who may either reside in their vicinities, or visit them during summer and autumnal rambles, prefacing our notices with the obser- vation that in this country it has apparently become naturalized in the interstices of walls and ancient buildings, striking its small roots into the mortar, or accumulations of vegetable mould, scant though they be, yet sufficing for the requirements of such a tiny plant.

JEtiyland. — "Yorkshire, very rare; a few fronds so labelled are in Herbaria." On Ragland Castle, and Tin- tern Abbey, in Monmouthshire ; diffused through various parts of Somersetshire, Devonshire and Cornwall ; in the former, the neighbourhood of Bath, Bristol, Wells, and Langport, are its favourite growing places. In Berkshire, Pusey, near Faringdon ; in Hampshire, the walls of the city of Winchester ; in Kent, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone church, Swancombe church, Shorn church. Old walls in Hereford and Leominster reveal the same interesting plant ; those also of the Abbey church at Malvern ; Ludlow Castle, in Shropshire, inseparably associated with the Mask ofComus; as likewise walls in the vicinity, are occasionally varied with small tufts. The dry fissures of rocks, at Doveda'c, Ched- dar, and those of a rock beside the road between Carnarvon and Bangor, are believed to be the only places where it occurs in its natural habits.

In Wales. — Walls and rocks near Bangor, andtheneig bourhood of Swansea, are acknowledged localities ; as caves in Holyhead mountain.

In Scotland. — Dundonald and the Carse of Gowrie, ac- cording to Hooker.

In Ireland. — Counties Dublin, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tip- perary, Cork, Kerry, Clare, and Galway.

Roots of the Scaly-hart's -tongue are endowed with the

6 HANDY BOOK OF

singular property of penetrating mortar ; thus admirably is even the humblest plant adapted to the site which it is de- signed to occupy. The green leaves or fronds appear in May and June, and attain perfection in August ; they con- tinue uninjured by frosts or rains, and are uniformly fertile.

This small fern is easily distinguished, even when growing among such as arc deteriorated by ungenial soil, or ex- posure on walls and rocks. The rhizoma is tufted, brown, and scaly, and a small portion of the rachis alone is naked, beset more or less thickly with pointed, chaffy scales. " The frond is linear, elongate, and pinnate, or pinnatifid ; the pinnae are attached to the rachis by their entire base, and are sometimes also connected with each other ; they are obtuse, rounded, and crenate ; the entire under-surface of the frond is covered with brown, pointed scales, thought by some botanists to be analogous to the indusium of other ferns."

" The side veins are few in number, alternate and irre- gularly branched ; they terminate before the margin of the pinna, and are united at their extremities, dividing the pinna into numerous compartments. The anterior branch of each lateral vein bears an elongate mass of theca), fixed apparently to the back of the vein, and seeming as if forced aside by the surrounding scales." Occasionally they are attached to a lateral vein, which in each pinna runs parallel with the rachis.

Four names have been given to the Scaly-hart's-tonguo by different authors. Hooker, Mackay, and Francis call it Grammitis celcrach ; Linmeus, Withering. Hudson, Light- foot, Bolton, Bcrkcnhout, Asplcnium celcrach ; Smith and G alpine, Scolopcndrium cetemceh ; Willdenow, Celcrach officinale. Such are the various appellations by which this pleasing little fern is known to botanists ; but however fre- quent on inland rocks, and old walls cemented by mortar mixed with clay, we are informed that it is becoming very

FERNS AND MOSSES.

87

scarce in places frequented by fishermen, being in great re-- quest for bait in rock-eod fishing.

Dioscorides celebrates the medicinal virtues of this fern, as affording an almost universal panacea.

The Asplenium trichomanes, or common Spleenwort of botanists, is very generally diffused. You may gather it

COMMON BPLEENWOBT.

from moist rocks in mountain solitudes, on old walls, and beside rushing torrents, on bamcs, n neagerows, ana from the gothic windows of dismantled abbeys, where a scanty supply of earth, in some small crevice, affords a resting- place for its tiny roots. Newman once observed the same plant in the valley of the Wye, near the small town of Bualt, growing in such profusion on a bri.lge as to form a con- tinuous covering of green ; and truly, said he, ' ' There is scarcely anything in the vegetable world more beautiful than such a sight." He recommends its cultivation, and assures his readers that the effect produced on the biidge by natural growth, may speedilj be realized at home. Imagine an unsightly wall, or a heap of stones still more unsightly,

88 HANDY BOOK OP

in some dull corner unvisited by sunbeams, dppressing the mind of him who is daily constrained to look upon them; contrast with this the pleasure of going forth into the woods, where, perhaps, some time-worn ruin recalls the memory of feudal greatness, and gathering from its walls tufts of the common Spleenwort to plant among the interstices or stones. If woods or memorial ruins are far away, you may seek for the same fern in other localities ; and to this succeeds the pleasure of planting, watering, and watching the unfolding of one small leaf, then another, till, as months pass on, the bare wall or stones are mantled with a luxuriant vege- tation.

The roots are black, tough, and penetrating ; wherever the smallest fibre insinuates itself, there the common Spleen- wort makes good his footing, it may be in rock or wall, exposed to the fury of fierce winds or scorching sunbeams, or within the spray of waterfalls ; this matters not. The Spleenwort, is a citizen of the vegetable world, appearing in May and June, arriving at maturity in August and September, and remaining green throughout the winter.

Would you seek to place this fern among your specimens, observe that the "rachis is naked for a third part of its length, smooth, shining, and black throughout ; that the frond is narrow, linear, and simply pinnate; the pinnaD dark green and very numerous ; irregularly ovate, obtuse at the apex, and more or less crenate at the margins ; that though they are usually distinct and distant, occasionally they are crowded, and each recumbent on the one preceding it ; that, moreover, they are attached to the rachis solely by their stalks, falling off like the leaves of phanogamous plants when the frond approaches decay, and leaving the rachis a bare denuded bristle." In size the common Spleenwort varies considerably ; at one time presenting a fairy-like app 'arance, at another one of considerable dimensions.

Observe, also, that the lateral veins are forked shortly after leaving the mid- vein, the anterior branch bearing an

FERNS AND MOSSES. 89

elongate, linear mass of thecse, almost immediately after the fork ; this mass is at first covered with an elongate, linear, white membranous indusium, which, as the thecse swell, becomes obliterated ; the black masses likewise become nearly confluent in two portions : they, however, rarely unite over the mid-rib, though ten or twelve in number.

This common fern has no pretension to medicinal virtues. Withering merely speaks of it as being generally substituted for the true Maidenhair in making capillaire — a syrup which, \vhen perfumed with orange flowers, is considered an agree- able beverage.

Fern collectors must now begin to gather such specimens as they desire to possess ; and where is there a fern that does not amply repay the trouble of preserving ? Unlike flowers, which often become discoloured, or lose their vivid tints and graceful forms, these plants dry well, and retain the symmetry of their leaves and pinnae ; suggestive, too, are they of pleasures yet to come, among green woods and lanes, and bringing to remembrance many a country walk, •when the cuckoo's song was heard, and ferns began to unfold in sunny brakes.

" Let Fate do her worst, these are relics of joy, Bright beams of the past which she cannot destroy; Oh ! long be our hearts with such memories fill'd, Like the vase in which roses have once been distill' d ; You may break, you may ruin the vase, if you will, But the scent of the roses will hang round it still."

Such ferns as you wish to preserve should be gathered in dry weather, yet not when the pinnae are slightly curled by the heat, which is frequently the case, but when the whole plant is fully developed. Lay the specimen thus gathered between several sheets of blotting-paper, taking care that even the finest root or pinnae remains uninjured. Subject the whole to a Considerable pressure, and let the fern con- tinue unexamined for a few days ; then carefully remove

90 HANDY BOOK 01''

the weight and blotting-paper, lest any degree of humidity should require a change of paper. This, however, rarely occurs, except in the case of the Hart's-tongue, a water- loving fern, or that of the Moonwort. Replace the weight, and let your specimens remain in a dry place for a month or six weeks, when they may be safely removed to the pages of your fern-book, upon which it is desirable to tack them with a fine needle and silk or thread, in two or three places, according to the size of the fern. Do not forget to set down the places where grew your specimens, and any historic or biographic memoranda that can be comprised in a few lines. If, also, you meet with poetry befitting the ferns or their localities, such quotations will render your book still more interesting.

When the stems of the ferns are unusually thick, we have found it desirable to place on either side folded sheets of blotting-paper, so that the finer portions of the fronds may sustain an equal pressure.

SEPTEMBER.

How beautiful are ripening fields of grain, Varying the landscape. And how fair the scene Of bill and dale, and woodland spreading wide ; "With cottage homes, and village fanes, that lift Their spires to heaven.

WHY is it that the Brake-fern grows profusely in some parts of Kent, whilst almost every other fern is wanting P that banks and hedgerows in the neighbourhood of Syden- ham, especially, are profusely feathered with this interesting species ? We have spoken elsewhere concerning the Pteris aquilina — of its wide diffusion, and association with memo- rial sites and ruins; but nowhere have we seen it more

AND MOSSES 91

pleasingly localized than in a sloping field which extend from the turnpike road on Sydenhara Hill towards the village. Ripening ears of grain grow luxuriantly on either side the patrnvay ; to some they might have formed a rustling canopy, but to us they presented the semblance of tall stems, up- lifting their luxuriant heads to air and light, bringing forcibly to mind the vivid description of St. Pierre, who loved to lie down among the grass and corn, and observe the dappled insects that darted merrily in all directions.

Half-way down, the view was beautiful ; full in front arose the stately tower of Upper Sydtnham church, and in the distance the tall spire of Penge church was seen among the trees. Far as the eye could reach were hills and woods, and in the middle distance corn-fields and pasture land, with sheep and cattle. While lingering to admire the lovely landscape, comprising in its length and breadth much that is especially characteristic of English scenery, we observed on our left a space of broken ground covered with ferns and furze, and encircled with rustling grain ; on the verge of this wild spot, and nestling among the corn, stood a small brotherhood of Brake -ferns, so comparatively small and delicately formed, that the eye, in looking on them, seemed to behold vegetable prototypes of those modest and retiring ones who shrink from the rough paths in which others of less gentle mood delight to venture. But our problem has not yet been solved. "Who may tell the reason why, in a land thus favoured with hills, and dales, and sunny glades among the woods, the Brake-fern alone is found ? This is one of Nature's mysteries ; or it may be that we are in- structed by the wonderful arrangement of the vegetable world, that all things have their prescribed limits — that, moreover, the smallest plant or fern has a lesson inscribed on its leaves, which the passer-by will do well to read, bidding him take note, that each one is endowed with qualities which represent somewhat in the moral world. Thus, for instance, the geographic arrangement of trees, and

92

HANDY BOOK OP

shrubs, and flowers — of herbs and parasitic plants, admirably exemplifies the assignment of different races, among men, to various portions of the earth ; while such as mostly beau- tify the trunks or branches of old trees, hint instructive thoughts of mutual benefits, and of that dependence on each other which renders every individual a benefactor to his kind.

IheAthyriumJiUx-femina, or Lady-fern — the Polypodium Jilix-femina of Lightfoot, Bolton, and Withering — though growing profusely in moist and shady places, about rivulets, and on heaths, yet frequently adorns the aged heads of

XADT-FEEN

pollard trees, and often springs from out of the hollows wrought by time, or woodpeckers. This species, one of the most elegant among British ferns, though universally yet not equally distributed, is pleasingly associated in our remem- brance with a wild and solitary place in Gloucestershire, which botanists may visit with advantage. That place is called Custom Scrubs ; its locality is beside the old road from Stroud to Cheltenham, where the traveller, having ascended a considerable eminence, passes a fine beech wood,

FERNS AND MOSSES. 93

and looks down on the pretty little town of Pains-wick, beautifully situated on the declivity of a hill, the summit of which is crowned with an old Roman Encampment thrown up by Ostorius. The road passes a series of valleys, renowned in history as the last strongholds of the ruthless Danes in the time of Alfred ; and on the verge of the most remote and solitary, stands Custom Scrubs, with its rude cottages, and profusion of dark junipers. There grows the Lady-fern, a name expressive of its graceful and fragile form. Ray applied the term to our common Brakes, but Linnaeus, with that delicate perception of whatever was most appropriate, assigned to it the one of which we speak.

Two distinct types of form pertain to the Lady-fern, and may be thus described : —

1. Flattened type. — "The fronds are broad, heavy, and drooping, and often of considerable size, perhaps even from three to five feet in length ; the pinnulaa are perfectly flat, with all-their cuttings clearly displayed ; and the masses of thecaa seldom, if ever, become perfectly confluent. Plants of this type vary infinitely in the cutting of the pinnulse ; also in the colour of the rachis, which is green, or inclining to red, purple, or even brown."

2. Convex type. — " The fronds are more narrow, rigid, erect, light, and feathery, of a smaller size, but still occasion- ally reaching from two feet to thirty inches in height ; the pinnulae are convex, the margins uniformly bent downwards; the masses of theca? crowded and confluent ; the rachis some- what pellucid, and very brittle. This type is generally pale green, sometimes nearly white, occasionally of a pinkish tinge, and even nearly as red as coral."

Observe, also, that in these two very marked varieties, the one with broader segments of dark green hue, and having a rachis of pale purple, is less common than the variety of which the segments are of a more delicate texture, and the frond itself of a pale green. The latter varies considerably

94 HANDY BOOK OF

in size, according to soil and situation. In damp and. shady places, beside streams, and en dripping rocks, it becomes the Filixfemina of English botany, according to Professor Don, in the Transactions of the Linncean Society, vol. xvii. p. 436 ; in more open and exposed situations, the Aspidium irriguum of Smith. But in ne tber of these states is it to be regarded as a distinct form. Newman further mentions, that the margins of each pinnulae are folded together, in that variety of which the segments are of a more delicate texture — and that they are so convolute as nearly to meet, which character causes each pinnula? to look very narrow from above ; whereas, such as pertain to the other variety are spread out, and flat — the serrature, or lobes, being perfectly displayed.

The root is fibrous, black, and wiry ; the rhizoma is ver- tically elongate, rising, in some specimens, several inches above the surface of the ground, even occasionally (o a foot in height, and thus evincing "considerable proximity to the Dicksonia), and other tree-ferns." The fronds appear in May ; and the bending downward of the apex, after the fashion of a shepherd's crook, causes them to resemble those of the Filix mas.

Examine the frond. ' ' In form it is somewhat lanceolate and pinnate ; the pinna? are linear, more or less crowded, acute at the apex, and regularly pinnate ; the pinnulse are very distinct and distant, either deeply serrated, pinnatifid, or pinnate ; one-fourth of the rachis is naked, but has numerous black scales."

Observe, also, that the mid-vein of the pinnula is waved ; that the side-veins are forked shortly after leaving the mid- vein ; that, further, the anterior branch of each is elegantly varied, about half-way between the mid- vein and margin, with an elongate, somewhat reniform mass of thecae, which is partially covered by an indusium attached on the con- cave side of the mass. When approaching maturity, the

FEENS A5TD MOSSES. 95

indusia are forced aside, and ultimately lost, the masses become circular, and often confluent, covering the entire under surface of the pinnula.

This pleasing fern has many names. She is the Athyrium

Jttix-femina of Roth and Presl ; the Athyrium irriguum and Icstum of Gray ; Asplenium Jilix-femina of Bernhardi, Hooker, Mackay, Don, and Francis ; the P oly podium filix-

femina and rhceticum of Linn feus, Hudson, and Berken- hout. But however named, and wherever growing,

" Where the rushing stream is longest, There the Lady-fern grows strongest;"

the frequent companion of waterfalls, and mantling many a wild dripping rock with luxuriant vegetation, Seek for the finest specimens, therefore, in places most congenial to their development, and spread them, as previously recommended, between sheets of blotting-paper, where they must remain till perfectly dry.

Nor less pleasing in its rocky habitat is the Spear-shaped Spleenwort, the Asplenium lanceolatum of all botanists, the most local of any of the ferns, and generally believed to be confined to the coasts of Merionethshire, Caernarvon- shire, Devonshire, and Cornwall, and the neighbourhood of Tuubridge Wells. Those, therefore, who desire to obtain this interesting species, must, in Kent, seek for them on the face of an ivy-mantled cliff near the High Rocks, as also on a similar locality on the Rocks at Tunbridge Wells ; in Devonshire, Morwell Rocks, on the banks of the rushing Tamar, are their favourite growing-places, with similar localities beside the Tamar, opposite the Lady Mine ; and such as may be seen contiguous to Cann Quarry, on the banks of the Plym. Their long, black, slender, and pene- trating rhizoma, which run to a great depth, fix them securely on rugged declivities near St. Ives, and in the Scilly Islands, where, unharmed by tempest, they grow

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HANDY BOOK OF

luxuriantly, and invite many an adventurous botanist to scale the dizzy heights whereon they grow.

You may not find them in Scotland, nor yet in the Emerald Isle, whose waters yield the most beauteous sea-

ls* Variety. Ind Variety. 3rd Variety.

SPEAR-SHAPED SPLEEXWORT.

•weeds. In Merionethshire they are located near Barmouth, on rocks and walls ; in Caernarvonshire, on a rock to the left of the road between Tan-y-bwlch and Aberglaslyn, and on a second rock close to the latter place.

But though the roots (as above mentioned) are long and penetrating, and evidently designed to anchor the small fern in its exposed growing-places, it is found occasionally on old stone walls, sheltered from the winds of heaven. The rhizoma is brown, tufted, and densely covered with bristle-like scales ; these should be carefully preserved, as somewhat of the character of the plant depends on them. The youg fronds open with the hawthorn and harebells, in May, when the cuckoo's " one word spoken" rejoices the young enthusiast who spends his summer holiday in woods and meadows. August witnesses their maturity, and during the months of Avinter they continue fertile.

Listen now to the distinctive characteristics which per-

AND MOSSES. 97

tain to the Spear-shaped Spleenwort, and mark them, well ; for, otherwise, the differences of the three varieties may elude your vigilance. The form of the frond, as noticed by an experienced botanist, is various, and owes much of its variety to dissimilar situations. "The first is of erect growth, nearly linear, and simply pinnate, the pinnoe being

1st Variety.

stalked and lobed. In this form it produces seed abun- dantly ; the masses, when fully grown, are perfectly cir- cular ; and such is their mode of growth, every part of the frond being perfectly flat, and the entire part ridged."

' ' A second variety, of pendent growth and larger size, is lanceolate as regards its form ; the pinna) are pinnate ; the pinnulae stalked, serrated, and somewhat quadrate ; the

2nd Variety.

fronds often, reach to a foot in length ; they usually issue from dark holes or shaded spots, and the lower pair of pinnae are .often bleached, weak, and of small size — the surface being generally flat, although occasionally slightly con- cave ; when this occurs each pinula partakes more or less

H

98 HAXDY BOOK OF

of the character, as in the figured specimen, where the detached pinnula shows the veins and incipient indusia."

"A third variety grows nearly erect, hut bends over at the extremity ; and the entire frond, together with each individual pinnula, possesses such a rigid and inflexible convexity, that it is next to impossible to flatten the plant by pressing it." The form is expressed in the engraving, but the convexity cannot be well described.

The lover of ferns does not readily grow weary while observing the exquisite variety of seeds by which they are distinguished. In the Spear-shaped Spleenwort, the lateral veins are branched, and a branch runs to the extremity of each serrature ; the masses of thecse are ainxed near the extremity of the veins, and somewhat alternately, one branch bearing a mass, and the next being without one :

3rd Variety.

each mass is at first elongate and linear, and covered by a linear white indusium ; the indusium afterwards disap- pears, and the mass becomes nearly circular.

The Black Spleenwort, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum of authors, the A. lucidum of Gray, is universally distributed, growing alike in shady places and on rocks open to the sun, though attaining its greatest luxuriance when nestling in the fissures of old walls, amid the rents of ruins, or in damp, shady hedgerows.

FEUNS A!Nl) MOSSES. 99

BLACK SPLEENWOKT.

Engravings may afford accurate sketches of this favourite fern, but they cannot supersede the necessity of minute descriptions, which are indispensable for young botanists, who will, otherwise, be deceived by accidental resemblances to other ferns.

Take notice, therefore, that the root is strong and wiry, and the rhizoma tufted, black, and covered with bristly scales ; , that the rachis is extremely smooth and shining, having a few scattered scales at the base ; and that one- third of the entire length is naked, which portion is usually black, or of a dark purple. You may gather the fronds before the end of May, or in the beginning of Jime ; at first they are nearly erect, but they shortly begin to droop, and finally become quite pendent. September is the season of their, maturity, and it is pleasant to look upon them when green and vigorous beneath the leafless branches that often screen them in winter from the wind. Strange contrast are they to denuded oaks and hedgerows, with their dark and cheerless-looking fibres ; the rain may fall in torrents, and

100 HANDY BOOK OF

the fields become white with snow, but still the Black Spleenwort rejoices the passer-by by its ample and luxuriant fronds.

We have spoken of the roots, and the rhizoma, the scales, and rachis. It now remains to notice, that the frond is triangular in form — that the apex is acute and attenuated — that it is pinnate, with triangular pinnre, acutely pointed, pinnate, and alternate ; whilst the pinnulee themselves are alternate and triangular, the lower ones pinnate, or pin- natifid, with notched lobes.

It is needful, likewise, to observe that the side-veins in the lobes, or pinnula1, are irregularly alternate, and mostly forked after diverging from the mid-vein. One or both branches of this divided vein bear an elongate linear mass of theca), situated near the mid- vein, and at first completely covered by a long, narrow, white, scale-like indusiuin, Avhich opens towards the mid- vein. When the thecse swell, and approach maturity, this small scale is gently raised and pushed from its site ; it is next turned aside, and finally disappears, when the under surface of the frond presents a . continuous mass of rich brown seeds.

We may lastly remark, in the words of a brother botanist, " that the superior length of the lower pinnae, and the oblique angle at which these, and indeed all the pinnae, are attached to the rachis, with the more central position in the pinnulae occupied by the thecsc, are characters by which the Black Spleenwort may be readily distinguished."

F;;;;XS AMJ MO- . 101

OCTOBER.

" Long work it were, Here to account the endless progeny Of all the weeds that bud and blossom there ; But so much as doth need must needs be counted here.''

SPEXSKU.

WELCOME Nature's handmaids, small mosses, which look green and cheerful when summer's flowers have ceased to deck the meads and banks, and all joyous birds are flown to distant climes ! Ye have laboured much, yet willingly, in the spring-tide of your time, and now ye sit contentedly on the once stern and herbless declivity, mantled by your active ministry with ferns and flowers. I well remember your" bleak growing place ; no joyous insect ever settled on its surface, no industrious bee sought there her honey harvest — flowers there were none, neither had the smallest fern struck its tiny roots into the fissures of the rock. At length came one of your persevering sisterhood, making a loving compact with sunbeams and soft showers, with nimble gases an<i wandering zephyrs ; and when each one had kindly lent his aid, 'and that small moss, forming to herself a home, wns securely settled, others of her companions hastened to dwell beside her. Now, within the fissuies, and on rough crags up the stony sides of giant rocks, and nestling on their

summits, grow green mosses. Look upon them, passer-by

nay more, gather a few, and carefully examine their com- ponent parts. Forest trees do not present a greater or aaoro • marked variety ; nor is the stateliest oak or pine, the bread-- fruit or cocoa, the banian or the cinnamon, morewondrously adapted to their respective habitats, or more curiously fur- nished with air and sap vessels for all the functions of vege- table life, than these neglected mosses.

102 HA>'i>y BOOK OF

Perclianco you have not thought respecting thorn : to you they are nameless even. Let it not ho so, however, for the future ; for every living thing, as I have often said hefore, hath its own hrief history, which we should endeavour to understand — nay more, its characteristic structure and vary- ing embellishments.

Take, for example, the Brynm triqnctrum, and bear in mind, while looking at it, that the following subdivisions pertain to the Brya, which it is needful to remember : —

Capsules sessile, or near!// so. — Capsules on fruit-stalks, upright.

1. Stemless.

3. Stems trailim

2. Upright. 4. Stems upright.

Iloundish, egg-shaped, and oblong capsules, pertain to the family of Brya.

Capsules on fruit-stalks, leaning.

1. Stem none, or very short and unbranched.

2. Stems upright.

Capsules on fruit-stalks, drooping.

1. Stem none, or very short and unbranched.

2. Stems upright.

B. triquetrum, or Ventricose bog-fringe moss — assigned by Withering to the family of 3fnimn ; by Messrs Hooker and Taylor to that of Bryum — is described by the latter as having branched and elongated stems ; lance-shaped, acute, sorrated, and reticulated leaves, with pear-shaped capsules ; the fruit-stalks are very long, and the whole plant ausAvers to the derivation of the generic appellation JBrt/um, derived from a Greek word /3/oww, signifying to sprout or shoot up, in allusion to the perpetual greenness and vivifying powers of this somewhat rare plant. Under its name Mnium, the Ventricose or bog-fringe inosS is mentioned by able bota- nists as not unfrequent in turf-bogs and marshy places, also

MOSSES.

103

on mud or gravel, by the sides of rivulets and springs, in the ascent of Snowdon and Glyder Yar, or the Hill of Tem- pests, and on the sandy brink of the river at Mavis Bank, near Edinburgh. Under its name of Bryum the same moss is, however, noticed by Dr. Scott, in his dried collection, as being found on the bank of some lake in Ireland, the only station for this fine plant in the British dominions being thus vaguely specified by him. The discrepancy is in some degree accounted for by the admission of Messrs. Hooker and Taylor, " that the differences between this moss and B. iiinium c&spiticium are almost insufficient, and that it is more distinguishable by its larger size, proliferous habit, and brown or purple hue, than by any more essential cha- racters." All botanists are aware, that in the same indi- vidualg great differences result from soil and station. Such therefore may be the case with the Bog-fringe moss, re- specting which Dellenius mentions that " the red kind is found in the mountain torrents of Snowdon, the green in high boggy heaths about London and Oxford." Mr. Griffith speaks of having gathered it near Celin House, two miles from Holywell, in Flintshire.

TIUQfETEUM.

104

HANDY BOOK <)Y

The peristome of the B, triquctrum is compact, and formed with great regularity. Five horn-like projections present two openings in each, and are curiously varied with transverse bands : they are apparently based on four short bee-hive-shaped protuberances, upheld by a circular foun- dation, with zigzag and banded embellishments.

The peristome of the B. ventricosum presents a some- what different appearance, varied and yet similar. The three sharp pyramidical-shaped processes have a single opening each, while those of triquetrum are furnished with two ; they have, moreover, intermediate decorations, resem-

Perls'ome.

HRYV.M VENTIULOSUM.

bling strings of upright beads. Observe the broad belt with its seeming scales, and the three unique terminations turned up at the base of each, after the fashion of a Chinese slipper. Ladies might derive from many a wayside moss, when highly magnified, hints for worsted work of no ordinary beauty ; those, also, who devise ornamental patterns for artificers of various kinds, might frequently discover elabo-

FKKXS AND MOSSES. 10j

rate decorations, scrolls, or braiding in many a fringe or capsule that projects from out a bed of moss.

The _B. rentricosum has also been placed among the Jlntums. We state, however, on the authority of Messrs. Hooker and Taylor, that this interesting moss pertains to the family of Bryum, and these are its characteristics : — Stems elongated, and branched leaves, oblong, acuminated, scarcely serrulate, margins recurved, nerve reaching beyond the point, capsules oblong and pendulous. The stems are frequently from two to four inches or more in height, in- cluding innovations. The ventricosum delights in marshy ground and the crevices of damp rocks, where it grows abundantly, and is often of a deep brown or reddish hue. of which the whole plant generally partakes more or less. The nerve is reddish.

The S. punctatum, Dotted fringe moss, is assigned by Withering to the Mnium tribe ; by Hooker and Taylor to the Bryum, "Who may decide between such varying opinions ? We incline, however, to the judgment of the latter authorities, and shall therefore give their concurrent description of this singular moss : — Stems elongated, leaves roundish ovate, very obtuse, reticulated, margins thickened entire, nerves disappearing below the point, capsule ovate, or rather oblong egg-shaped pendulous, lid short, rostrate : leaves, largest in the order Musci, approaching very nearly to those of the Cinclidium stt/yium, inner peristome of a firm and rigid texture, outer teeth pale coloured.

Seek for this interesting moss in marshy places, on the1 roots of alders and water-loving trees, where it vegetates in large patches, and the leaves have occasionally a scarlet rib. Bogs in the West Riding of Yorkshire are its favourite growing places, and there the brotherhood obtain their fullest development. The broad and inversely egg-shaped leaves are elegantly varied with small dots.

" Prepare your sweetmeats," says the Chinese proverb. " and your friend will come ;" " Think of him, and he will

106

HANDY BOOK 01'

surely appear," responds the English. We trust that the frequent wish for accurate information relative to mosses, Avill cause this hitherto comparatively neglected branch of natural history to be placed on the same sure basis as sea- weeds and shells. In the instance of the undulated Fringe- moss, or Byrum undulatum, the usual difficulty occurs. Withering speaks of it as a Mnium ; Hedwig also. Hud-

I.eaf magnified.

BHYUM PUNCTATCM.

son and Hooker as a Bryum. The root is strong and creep- ing ; the shoots from three to six inches long, cither branched or otherwise ; the leaves are thin, pellucid, spear- shaped, waved, and serrated ; capsule pendant with blunt lids ; veil straight and pointed, according to Dcllenius ; flowers extremely minute, but when examined with a microscope, the unfruitful ones are seen to be surrounded by strap-shaped leaflets, in the centre of shoots ending in mimic

AND MOSd-ES. 107

We have elsewhere observed that every plant and flower has its winged or creeping resident, nay, every locality and soil: "As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house; the high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies." (Ps. civ. 17, 18.)

Even the humblest moss that grows on cottage thatch or wall, in moist shady woods, or about the roots of trees and hedges, shelters some tiny insect, that finds therein a home and store-house. On tbe leaves of this simple moss, and also upon the Dicranum bryoides, or Bryum-like feather- moss, in Wallington Woods, Northumberland, a minute and elegant insect, the Leangeum Trevelyani, may sometimes be discovered. None, perhaps, among the insect tribes are more radiantly beautiful, or more attractive from its symmetry, delicate formation, and varied hues, than this minute creature. The eye gazes upon it with extreme de - light; and though thus minute, it is endowed with even' requisite faculty for enjoyment ; and how know we whether this charming little being, which presents one of the love- liest objects in creation, does not especially rejoice in the fairy-formed home wherein she dwells ?

Nor less worthy of regard is the Bryum hygrometricum of Huds, the Furaria hygrometrica of Roth and Hook, and the Minium hygrometricum of Withering ; for such are the various appellations assigned to the Revolving fringe-moss. This tribe is common in woods and heaths* on garden walks, old trees and walls, among decayed wood, and where coals and cinders have lain. We remember our favourite walk in a shrubbery, where the Revolving fringe -moss grew so luxuriantly as to form a carpet of verdure. Children re- sorted in summer to that shady walk, and therefore the green covering was continually trodden upon, although re- newing its beauty and freshness whenever dews were heavy, or passing showers watered that wild spot. In places rarely visited the case was otherwise ; there the stems of the Re- volving fringe-moss rose from one to two inches in height,

K8

HANDY HOOK OF

though mostly buried in the earth ; and fruit-stalks, a full inch long, upheld their pear-shaped, golden yellow capsules. Those who seek for it in December will discover this same moss, very small, and nestling closely on the ground, with line oblong, taper -pointed leaves, from which young fruit- stalks project like fairy spears. In January, the four-sided, and straw-coloured veil appears ; in February and March , capsules become apparent, and ripen in April and May.

B. PAIAJSTRK.

1, 2, Capsule and Leaf magnified.

Thus regularly and invariably progresses this small mossj six months are witnesses to its first emerging and proceeding through various changes, till its final perfecting by soft showers and warm sunbeams. Then it is that the vital, principle is fully developed ; and if the fruit-stalk be moistened at its base, the head makes three or four revolu- tions ; but if at the upper portion, it turns the contrary way. Spiral fibres are, therefore, assigned to the Revolving fringe-

AND ilOSSES. 109

moss — they answer the same end as those of the water-lily, and all such plants as are peculiarly affected by light or moisture.

The essential characteristics of the Bryum palustre, or Forked fringe-moss, according to the testimony of Hooker and Taylor, consists in the stems being much branched, the leaves lanceolate, obtuse, entire, with margins revolute; the capsules ovate, oblique, sulcated, lids conical. We recog- nize in this rarely-noticed species a beautiful provision for the dispersion of those innumerable seeds which are con- tained in the small ribbed capsules : the stems, previously upright and holding their seed-vessels erect, for the obvious purpose of obtaining as much air and light as possible, bend downwards when the seeds are fully ripe and the lid ready to fall off. When the seeds arc shed, the capsules become crooked — wherefore, we know not ; yet doubtless for some purpose connected with the vegetable economy of the plant.

Subjects of engrossing interest, either as respects their beauty or rarity, or the memorial sites among which they grow, may be selected from the rugged bank that first attracted our attention. Here is the Minium orcuatum, or Curved-stalked fringe-moss of Dicks and Withering, as- signed to the Bryum tribe, an extremely beautiful moss, unknown on the continent, though of common occurrence in the mountainous districts of Ireland, and not unfrequently in many parts of England. The stems are upright, but spreading and serrulated. The barren flowers are terminated and stalk-like ; the fruit-stalks terminal, crooked, and sur- rounded by young shoots. The golden yellow globular capsules have narrow mouths, their fringes are varied with short, upright, acute red teeth, and the minute lids are scarcely beaked. A. fuscous woolly substance constantly surrounds the shoots — a material, it may be, for the winter domicile of some dependent insect. I^or less vivid than the capsules are the fruit-stalks, which spring from out the base

110

IIANIJY

erf the mimic branches ; they are golden red, about half-an- inch long, and crooked ; the leaves arc serrulated chiefly towards the end.

Thus perfect in all its parts, the Curved-stalked fringe- moss is eagerly sought for by collectors ; and in order to assist them in their pursuits, we instance the following growing-places : — Bogs in the northern parts of Yorkshire, and moist places on Glyder Mountain, North "Wales. Boggy places in Scotland ; and among bogs, in company with Jfnium palustrc, in Greenfield, Saddleworth, Yorkshire ; and Stanley, Cheshire. The banks of Avon Las, near Pistyllwen, in Llanberris parish, are varied with this elegant moss, as also the foot of the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, and the recesses of the mountains of Cumberland.

Beautiful in its assigned locality is the Brywn ligulatum , Long-leaved thread-moss, one of the largest as well as handsomest of British mosses. Sir James Smith compares

X

1. B. LIGULATUM. — 2. Portion of a leaf, magnified to show the network. — 3. Interior of peristome, — 4, Exterior.

l-: iiXS AX1) MOSSES.

Ill

it to a grove of fairy palm-trees, drooping gracefully over the moon-lit dancers, when they prank it merrily on the dewy sod. Beautiful and shining foot-stalks, resembling polished shafts, of a dark red colour, uphold capsules of equal brilliancy, among which the tiny people may float in and out, now lost in their dark shadows, and again re- appearing in the fidl beams of a cloudless moon.

Linnasus gave to the Dark Mountain fringe-moss the name which now it bears. Botanists, in modern times, have re-

B. DEALBATUM. Leaf Magnified.

ferred it to the Mnium, Dicranum, and Tricliostomum tribes ; and, therefore, our readers will not be surprised if they rind it under either of the above heads. A recent and high authority has, however, resumed the appellation given by the Swedish naturalist.

Unlike many of its family, which grow best on arid moun- tains, and walls- open to the sun, the Dark Mountain fringe- moss requires a soil, however meagre. It grows on stones thinly covered with mould, near Llanberris, in Carnarvon- shire, and in the West Riding of Yorkshire ; frequent in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland; it affects also rocks on the hill-side, about fifty yards above Garthmelio, the seat of R. W. Wynne, Esq., Denbighshire.

112 HANDY BOOK OF

A variety, with trailing sterns and brownish green leaves, somewhat open, with branched shoots, floating on the water, or mantling stone and pebbles, round which some prattling stream forms eddies of white foam, may be readily dis- tinguished by short and blackish fruit -stalks, and straight, oblong, dark green capsules. This variety is not uncommon in rivulets that water the moors of the Peak of Derbyshire and in the racing torrents near Llanbcrris, Carnarvonshire. Mr. Griffith gathered a fine specimen in the first brook after crossing Pont Alwen, between Denbigh and Cerrig y Druidion.

The Bryum dcalbatum, or Pale-leaved thread-moss, is a somewhat rare moss in England, though not unfrequent among Scottish mountains, especially on Ben Lawers. Bo- tanists will readily distinguish it, by observing that the capsules are roundish, somewhat bent, toothed and fringed, and that the leaves are spear-shaped, acute, and expanding. Such are its chief characteristics ; and when submitted to a microscope, there is much found to admire in this simple, rock-adhering moss. Minute leaves, which resemble the finest scales, become enlarged, pellucid, finely but obscurely serrated, and seem as if covered with network ; the scarcely perceptible capsule displays its teeth and fringes, and deli- cately formed lid. A pitcher in truth it is, filled with the finest seeds, upheld with others of its kind to the genial influence of air and light, and when that purpose is accom- plished, bending to the earth.

The Bryum marginatum, or Bordered thread-moss, is equally worthy of attention. The shoots are mostly simple, the leaves egg spear-shaped, pointed, finely toothed, and bordered with a mid-rib and thick red edge, the capsules egg cylindrical, with a beaked lid. All this is obvious to the unassisted eye, and the yellowish hue of the Bordered thread-moss readily distinguishes it ; but when seen through a microscope, how greatly is its beauty heightened ! The lurid hue of the nerve and margin in each leaf becomes of a

1'EHXS AMD MOSSKS.

113

brilliant deep blood colour, and the veil is equally observable. True it is that these peculiarities render the moss obvious at first sight, but as. the hand of the carver and polisher brings

B. MARGIN ATUM. — 1. Capsule. — 2. Portion of a leaf. — 3. Leaf magnified.

forth the excellence of cameos and gems, so do the lenses of the microscope alone reveal the exquisite perfections of Nature's minutest works.

NOVEMBER.

" Mosses are Nature's children. I have seen them Smile in their beauty on the lone sea-clift', By rushing torrents, or on herbless granite, Where nought beside, save some meek, pale-faced lichen "Would brook to linger."

OTHER individuals of the genus Bryiun are deserving of minute inspection. Their numbers and varieties are such, however, as to render selection difficult ; we shall, there-

i

114 HANDY BOOK OF

fore, briefly notice a few of the rarest, or most beautiful, and then pass on.

The Bryum argenteum, or Silvery-thread] moss, though frequent on sunny banks and walls, on roofs and rocks, is deserving of especial notice. The capsules are egg-shaped, upright when green, pendent when ripe; and this for the purpose already noticed, namely, that of scattering the seeds upon the earth as from a reversed pitcher. The leaves are egg-spear-shaped, ending in hairs, but so pressed against the stems, as hardly to be distinguishable by the naked eye ; the fruit-stalks rise from the base of the shoots to nearly half an inch ; and he who subjects the capsule to a magnifying glass, will readily discover that the lid is short and blunt, that the mouth is elegantly fringed, and the veil deciduous. The plant grows in patches about half an inch high ; in autumn, and early in the winter, of a vivid green, then shining and silvery white, especially when dry, a peculiarity which distinguishes the Silvery - thread moss from all others of its brethren.

The gravel- walks of Oxford Physic Garden, in the time of Dillenius, were pleasingly ornamented with variety 2, of which the shoots were pale or dark-green, occasionally shining, the leaves more crowded, and the mouth of the capsule without a fringe. We know not whether this kind still holds its accustomed place ; but our botanical friends, who visit Oxford, will do well to seek for it.

Bryum cubitate, Elbow-stalked thread-moss, and largest •of all the Brya, may be readily distinguished by its golden- coloured, reddish-brown, and brightly glittering fruit- stalk, having an elbow-like bend a little above the base, and upholding a depressed and pendant, club-shaped, and very long capsule, with an upright and numerous-toothed fringe. The shoots are somewhat branched, rather re- cumbent at the base, and the stems are trailing, often three inches long, the leaves occasionally bristle-pointed, but nut uniformly so.

FEltXS AND ilOSSES. 115

This interesting species looks well in a moss book. It i>s agreeably associated with clear, cold streams in the neigh- bourhood of Snowdon, and with the bonny banks of Aber- i'eldy. Hooker and Taylor arrange the Cubitatc under B. ventricosum ; Griffith considers it as not specifically distinct from Alpinum.

X(_'verthek'ss, a considerable difference subsists between, the Cttbitate and Alpinum, as noticed by Withering; and thus his description runs : — " Densely compact in growth, vari- ously branched, yet irregular. Leaves numerous, oblong, keeled, straight, acute, opaque, smooth, shining, purplish- green ; but in old plants, purplish below, dark-red above. Fruit-stalks an inch high, dark-red purple, issuing from a large purple tubercle, veil purplish. This species is best known by its deep shining purple colour, and its rigid stems and leaves : the former remaining perfectly straight even when moistened. Rocks in mountainous regions are the favourite growing places of this beautiful moss, than which few among its bretliren look Jietter when carefully dried.

The Great hairy-thread moss, JS. rurale, friend of the peasant's hut, readily affixes its tiny roots in roofs, whether thatched or tiled, and on walls and the trunks of trees. Linnaeus mentions, that when this moss extends over thatched buildings, the thatch, instead of lasting only about ten years, will endure for an age. He suggests, that it may prove a great security against liability to accidents from lire, which renders such covering very objectionable.

Had Linnaeus lived in the present age, and seen, as we have lately had frequent occasion to observe, traces of fire among the dry furze and grass which mantle the sides of deep railway cuttings, he might fully have appreciated the value of this moss. Sparks from the fiery iron steed, whirling his living masses of many hundreds of human beings with incredible rapidity, not unfrequently set fire to dry herbage ; even to hay-stacks, occasionally, when too near his path ; and woe to the peasant's thatched hut that stands beside it I

116 HANDY EOOK OF

But he whose roof is covered with this friendly moss, may sleep securely. The snorting of the fiery steed need not disturb his slumbers ; his children are safe in bed ; flashes of fire — breathings of that tremendous racer — may lighten by his windows, and fall upon his roof; but they do no harm among the dense and elevated tufts of the Great hairy-thread moss. This moss has little of external beauty to commend it except when growing in wide patches, and presenting in its aggregate, during rainy weather, a fine yellowish green, which often pleasingly contrasts with the grey bark of aged trees, or old thatch on barns and cottages. In dry seasons, the same moss looks of a dull grey or brown. As regards its obvious characteristics, we may briefly men- tion that the capsules are cylindrical, the lids conical and acute, terminated at the mouths with long fringes ; that the shoots are branched, the leaves reflected inversely, heart- shaped blunt, hair pointed.

Beautiful specimens for preserving in moss books may be obtained from the family of Thread-moss, both as regards their form and hue. The .7?. aureum is one of these. In this, and in M. crtuhtm, the stem is half as long as the fruit-stalk, and extremely shining ; the strap-shaped leaves arc of a greenish golden hue, forming altogether a firm tuft, and distinguishable by their slenderness and length ; the fruit-stalks are an inch and more in length, purple, iridis- cent, and issuing from a brownish green involucrum, vary- ing occasionally from pale red to golden yellow, and upholding pear-shaped and green capsules, which, like the supporting shafts, change to. yellow red. Although of some- what rare occurrence, this elegantly varied moss grows on rocks in Nottingham Park, as also among the Berwyn Mountains, in the roads between Bala and Llangunnoy, and on Snowdon.

The transition is natural from mosses to ferns. Compa - nions are they on many a weather-beaten crag, and wheu the sisterhood of mosses have prepared a dwelling-place for

IT; HNS AJND 110SS.KS. 117

plants of larger growth, ferns are the first to dwell beside them. Such is often the case with the Tunhridge filmy- fern, the Ilymenopliyllum Tunbridf/ense of Smith and Hooker, of Mackay, Gray, and Francis, the Trichomanes Tunbriilycnse, or Tunhridge golden-locks of Linnteus, Hud- son, Withering, Bolton, and Light-foot.

In England the localities of this singular fern are moist clefts of rocks, and stony places, growing somewhat luxuriantly on the high rocks of Tunb ridge Wells ; it also embellishes the coast of Sussex, and is found among the pebbles at Cockbush. Many a rushing torrent on Dartmoor reflects its winged leaves ; and botanists speak of it as being not unfrequent on. the mountains of the north. Mr. Aiken gathered it from crags in a shady dell near Llan- herris ; Mr. Winch from beside the tumbling falls of the dread Lodore ; another botanist at the Cil-hepstc Waterfall, near Pont-nedd-vechan, and on Brincous in the vicinity of jS'eath, Glamorganshire. Variety the 2nd, with fructifica- tions on naked fruit- stalks, is not unfrequent on rocks beneath Dolbaden Castle, near the lake of Llanberris, and on. the rock called Foalfoot, on Ingleborough in Yorkshire.

The Tunbridge filmy-fern is presumed to be as yet un- known in Wales and Scotland. But Ireland owns it in various romantic localities, in the counties of Galway and Kerry, Cork and Wicklow. Those who visit the Lakes of Killarney may find it spreading over the rocks in great beauty and luxuriance.

The roots are black, wiry, and slender ; the rhizoma creeping, wiry, slender, long, and black. The fronds con- sist of a branched series of veins, each one being clothed with a membranous or filmy wing ; the branches or pinna? are alternate, more or less subdivided ; the subdivisions or pinnula? are mostly in pairs, the margin of the wing is cre- nated, and very minxitely spiny ; the masses of thecoe are in flat marginal receptacles, situated at the union of the

118

OJOOK OF

pinnfe with the racliis ; in this species the receptacles have a serrated external margin.

Hooker mentions the Filmy-fern in his ' ' FloraTLon- dinensis," as belonging to a very beautiful and extensive

genus, established by Smith, for the most part inhabiting the tropics. One species alone is European, though not included in the Floras of Germany and Switzerland, notwithstanding their rocks and waterfalls, and damp,

AKD. M.OSSKS. 119

shady wood-sides, in which, the species congregate. La Bellardiare and Mr. Brown met with luxuriant specimens in New Holland ; the former described one especially as a new species, under the name of Ilyinenopliyllum ciiprcssiforme.

Hooker speaks also of the Jlymenophyllum atatum, or Winged-stacked goldilocks, a rate plant, but hitherto im- perfectly understood. Ray noticed it in his Synopsis, and also Dillenius, as growing on dripping rocks at Belbank, half-a-mile from Bingley, in Yorkshire, at the well-head of a remarkable spring, and there Dr. Richardson discovered it in modern times. We cannot sufficiently deprecate the ruthless habit of destroying plants by tearing them from thsir growing places for the sake of preserving only a few specimens. To some such recklessness we owe, most pro- bably, the disappearance of the Winged-stacked goldilocks, or fern, from a spot, consecrated by the visits of Ray and Dillenius, where it grew till the year 1782, and then dis- appeared, according to the testimony of Hailstone, in "Whitaker's " Craven." The species may be readily met with throughout the Snowdon district, and in many parts of the principality of Wales, where harps were heard in unison with the headlong rush of waterfalls; among the Highlands also, in localities too numerous to mention ; and in Ireland, especially at Powerscourt Waterfall, and on ^hady banks and rocks exposed to the spray of the torrent above Turk Cottage, Killarney, where it grows in company with the rare Jungermannia HutcMnsice.

The frond is from four inches to four and a half high ; primary pinnae three inches long, tie upper gradually shorter, and these, as well as the secondary ones, are ovate- lanceolate, margin entire, furnished with a slender brown nerve or mid-rib, prominent on both sides, and running- down the middle, llachis winged, with a broad foliaceous margin. The substance of the frond is membranous, smooth, beautifully reticulated, of a brownish-green colour. Cap- sules roundish sessile, fixed by the disk, compressed brown, collected together near the middle of the receptacle ; the

120

HAXDT BOOK OF

disk in eacli is reticulated, the elastic ring largo, and the seeds round.

Such is the elaborate description given by Hooker, who seems to have regarded the Filmy-fern with no ordinary interest. It was, perhaps, associated in his mind with many a pleasant summer ramble.

The Rue-leaved Spleenwort, Asplemum rutamuraria of

RVR-LK iVl.D BPI/RKNWORT

1MJRXS AND MOSSES. 121

authors, to the generic name of which Murate ycrmanicum and Atternifolium were assigned by Gray, NVilldenow, AVulfen, Smith, and Francis.

Few plants are more generally diffused than the Rue- loaved Spleenwort. Growing abundantly among the rocky liills of Scotland in a perfectly wild state, one of its favourite localities is Arthur's Seat, near Edinburgh, and thither the lover of ferns often hastens to seek for it. One might imagine that the pure breezes, and warm gleams of sun- shine, that visit Cader Idris and Snowdon, would favour the growth of this pleasing fern, but such is not the case ; travellers who seek for it among those romantic solitudes will find it growing but sparingly. Yet, notwithstanding this restriction, the same fern is common throughout the northern, western, and southern counties of England, as also in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where it is found on almost i- very ruin, old church, or wall, or bridge, whether of brick or stone. The dweller among crowded houses, and the hurry of " street-pacing steeds," who still retains his healthy love of ferns, may readily discover the Rue-leaved spleenwort on the walls of Greenwich Park, though more abundantly rooted in the crumbling mortar that fills interstices in the brick portion of the wall, than in the stone. Like the mouse and sparrow, half-domesticated associates. of man, it dwells wherever he has fixed his abode ; associated equally with memorial ruins and the humblest way-side hut, recalling to memory days of feudal splendour, and the peaceful occupa- tions of rural life.

The roots of the Asplenium ruta muraria are black and wiry ; the rhizoma is equally black tufted also, and clothed with bristly scales. Associated with the coming back of mi- gratory birds, and the ripening of early fruits, the fronds appear in May and June, arrive at maturity in September, and continue green throughout the winter till the ensuing May. They are invariably fertile. The rachis is black or dark purple, smooth and shining, and for more than half its

122 HA?;mr 1500K OF

length, uniformly unclothed. "The normal form of the frdnd is triangular and pinnate, the pinnae being alter- nate, and also pinnate ; the pinnulse are of varied form, but mostly somewhat triangular or lozenge-shaped; their exterior margin is generally serrated."

' ' Veins radiate from the stack to the exterior margin of the pinnula), and to these are attached the elongate linear masses of theete, two, three, four, and even five on each pinnula? these are at first covered with an elongate, linear, white in- dusium, which is pushed aside by the growing thecae, turned back , and finally lost, the back of the pinnula becoming eventually covered with a dense brown mass of thecse."

Newman speaks of a remarkable form of the Rue-leaved spleenwort, found in several localities throughout Germany, Hungary, and Scotland, and considered by botanists as a distinct species, under the name of Asplenium germanicum, or A . alternifolium. A representation of the plant, copied from his History of British Ferns, page 71, and named by him the alternate type of A. ruta muraria, is given above A. A. "The form of the frond is elongate and pinnate; the pinna? are distant, small, linear, alternate, and generally notched or divided at the apex. C presents a specimen gathered by Newman, at Arthur's Seat, near Edinburgh. It has three dissimilar fronds, and is introduced as forming a connecting link between the. normal type of the common Rue-leaved Spleenwort and the continental specimens. The same botanist remarks that if a naturalist was to commence with the first figured and most frequent, and advance re- gularly through the others, he would find it difficult to divide the plants into two distinct species. Botanists of eminence, however, have thought otherwise, but the opinion of Linnscus may be quoted as corroborative of the one above mentioned.

Sir S. Smith considers that the Rue-leaved spleenwort is an intermediate species between Septentrionale and Ruta muraria, though distinct from both.

in.-

123

This singular looking fern, the AspJenium scptcntrionale of Smith, Hooker, Galpine, Gray, and Francis ; Acrostichum scptentrionale of Linnaeus, Bolton, Hudson, Lightfoot, Berkenhoot, known by the appropriate name of Forked Spleenwort, is perhaps one of our rarest ferns. It was con-

rORKED SPLEENWORT.

*idered for many years as peculiar to Arthur's Seat, but has since been gathered in Carnarvonshire, though sparingly ; luxuriantly on a wall by the roadside leading out of Llanrwst, towards Conway, exactly opposite a farm-house, and about a mile from Llanrwst. For the sake of botanists who desire to add this rare plant to their collections, we shall mention its localities.

England. — Northumberland, Kyloe Crags, Cumberland, Honiton Crags, and on rocks in the neighbourhood of Scaw Fell.

TTWes. — Carnarvonshire, Pwll Du, in the romantic Pass of Llanberris ; and on Glyder Vawr, above Llyn-y-Coon, very sparingly ; a mile from Llanwrst, on the road to

124 HANDY BOOK OF

Conway, growing luxuriantly on a wall at the left-hand side.

Scotland. — Arthxir's Seat and Braid Hills, near Edinburgh, formerly abundant, now rare ; Perthshire, near Dunkeld.

Ireland. — Unknown .

The roots are long, iibrous, crooked, intertwined, and, together with, the rhizoina, which is large and tufted, form an amazing bulk. The specimen procured by Newman, at Llanrwst, had three hundred fronds ; and after shaking oft' u good deal of the earth, the mass of roots and rhizoina weighed several pounds.

The form of the frond is elongate, lanceolate, and fur- nished laterally with one or two short bifed teeth or serra- tures ; the apex also terminates in a bifed point, diminishing imperceptibly towards the base, and terminating in a smooth ruchis, black at the extreme base. The veins are nearly simple, few in number, one uniformly runs into each serra- ture. The theca? are attached to each vein in a continuous line, covered at first by an indusium of similar shape, opening towards the mid- vein of the frond, thrown back as the thecae swell, and finally disappearing. The lower surface of the i'rond presents a continuous mass of thecso.

Pleasingly associated with the return of the wandering <love, with the cheerful yet monotonous song of the cuckoo, and the coming back of the swallow family, green leaves of the Forked Spleeuwort appear in March and April ; they arrive at maturity in August, and retain their verdure throughout winter ; they grow in an horizontal position, from out perpendicular or slanting banks or walls, and are figured in their natural size and position.

The Sea Spleenwort, Asplenium marinum of authors, is widely diffused throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, wherever the fissure of the sea-cliff, or the roof of a marine cave, affords a congenial growing place. Specimens of an enormous size have been gathered from the roof of a

FEKXS AMJ .MOS> K!-.

125

Jarge cavern at Petit Bot Bay, in the island of Guernsey, and also in the islands of Madeira and Teneriffe.

Cornwall, with its sea-cliffs, and remembrances of Druidic times, is peculiarly favourable to the full development of the Sea Spleenwort, which grows there to a larger size than in the northern counties.

The root is black and wiry, tough, long, and so firmly 'fixed in the crevices of rocks, as to require a strong hand for

SEA SPLEENWORT.

its removal. The rhizorna is nearly spherical, black, and covered with bristly scales ; the fronds make their appear- ance in June and July ; they ripen their seeds in October, and remain green throughout the year. Fronds of successive seasons may be found equally strong and verdant in July and August.

" The frond is linear, and simply pinnate ; the pinna) are

stalked, ovate, and serrated, two larger ones frequently

occur near the apex ; the pinna) are connected by a narrow

wing running along the rachis."

' Observe how curiously the side-veins are forked almost

126

immediately after leaving the mid- vein — that the anterior branch bears an elongate linear mass of rust-coloured thecte ; this, when young, is covered by a white membranous indusium of the same shape as the mass, uniformly opening towards the apex of the frond.

Beware, young -botanist, while seeking for this fern in marine caverns, or in the fissures of sea-cliffs, that you make yourselves acquainted with the time when the tide rises from day to day. You may otherwise have to wade amid the dashing spray, or else to peril life and limb, in climbing up the slippery sides of rocks, with your hard- • earned treasures in your hands ; happy, if you escape passing the night on some high crag, which barely affords you a safe standing-place above the strife of waters.

GREEN SPLEENWORT.

The geographical range of the Green Spleenwort, Asplenium viride of authors, A. trichomanes of Linnseus, is very limited. In Ireland it is believed to be confined to a single mountain — Ben Bulben ; in this country to the extreme northern

AND MOSSES. 127

counties, where it is generally intermixed with the Asplenium trichomanes ; in Scotland, to her loftier mountains ; those especially of the western islands ; in Wales, to the Snowdon range, though most profusely in the Assure called Twll Dee, and at the base of the fissure where it opens into Cwm Idwell ; Cader Idris, Brecon Beacon, the Lady's Waterfall by Neath, and rocks within a few miles of thp same place, are also acknowledged localities. *

Few among the brotherhood of ferns are more delicately formed than the Green Spleenwort. The root is fibrous, black, and somewhat tender ; the rhizoma black, scaly, and tufted. In May and June, when the meadows are bright with fiowers, and warbling voices resound from every hedge and thicket, the fronds lift up their heads ; they attain maturity in August, and remain green throughout the winter.

For about a third of its length the rachis is uniformly naked ; half this part is black or purple ; the remainder to the apex of the frond, and all the pinnae, are of a bright emerald hue ; the form of the frond is narrow, elongate, linear, and simply pinnate, and though the pinnae are not so numerous as in A. trichomanes, they are somewhat quadrate, but without angles, and more or less crenate at the margin ; they are in general placed alternately on the rachis, are usually very distinct and separate, occasionally crowded, and attached to the rachis by their stalks only.

But the most decided specific character belonging to the plant is, " that the lateral veins are either simple or forked, bearing an elongate linear mass of thecse, almost immediately on leaving the mid- veins ; and that, if forked, the division takes place beyond the mass of thecse. The veins do not reach the margin of the pinna : the theca? are at first covered by a linear, elongate indusium, which soon disappears, and they become confluent in a ferruginous mass, occupying the centre of the pinna, and concealing the mid-vein. The masses at first are four or six in number."

128 11 ANDY BOOK OF

DECEMBER.

" Lonely the forest spring! a rocky hill Rises beside it, and an aged yew Bursts from the rifted crag, that overshades ^ The waters cavern'd there. Unseen and slow, And silently they swell. The adder's tongue, Eich with the wrinkles of its glossy green, Hangs down its long lank leaves, whose wavy dip Just breaks the tranquil surface."

a pleasant ramble have we taken together, reader, among the woods and in green lanes, where ferns grew wild and high, beside the roar of ocean, in quest of such as dwell on crags, and even in sea-caves, where the marine Spleen - wort loves to hide. Now that trees are leafless, and most of the fern tribe have retired to their winter quarters beneath the earth, we must refer to our dried specimens for the four remaining species which we have still to describe.

Here, then, is the Scolopcnclriitm rulf/arc, the Common Hart's-tongue, the S. qffidnarum, land Asplenium scolopcn- drium — for such are its three names — a peculiarly handsome and ornamental fern, which grows alike on streamlet brink and in the clefts of arid rocks or aged ruins. Of almost universal distribution, and with the exception of some parts of Kent and Northamptonshire, where ferns in general re- fuse to vegetate, this interesting species is found in every part of the British empire. The child who peeps warily over the edge of a wynch-well, may see its long graceful leaves reflected in the dark waters beneath ; and those who rashly peril life or limb in climbing to the sea-crow's nest, in the slippery sides of wild cliffs, may often notice luxu- riant tufts of the same fern waving far above his head. True it is, that the botanist may walk for miles, and return disappointed to his home, saying, that nowhere has he been

FERNS AND MOSSES.

129

able to I5nd the Hart's-tongue ; but let him go over the same ground another day, looking carefully in the thickest parts of hedges, and he may return Avith fully -developed specimens. In Scotland, where the Scohpcmln'um is

HART'S -TONGUE.

sparingly distributed, he who searches can seldom travel far without recognising it in some favourite locality. In Ire- land it is far niore abundant, and is not only profusely scattered in the most dissimilar situations, but attains almost

130 HANDY BOOK OF

giant growth in the neighbourhood of Sligo, and among the romantic solitudes of KUlarney, where the fronds, radiating from a common centre, arch gracefully in a semicircle.

The roots may be briefly described as black, of consider- able length and thickness, and of great tenacity ; the rhizoma is tufted, scaly, blackish, and almost spherical. Simultaneously with the arrival of the cuckoo, and the flowering of the cowslip and marsh-marigold in meadows, the Hart's -tongue uplifts its head, often in their immediate vicinity, and pleasingly contrasting its light green leaves with the delicate yellow petals of the one, and the brighter tints of the other. Though storms are abroad, and snows lie deep upon the ground, we might find this hardy species in its sheltered haunts ; for the fronds, which arrive at full maturity by the end of September, continue green and vigorous throughout the winter, and generally await the springing forth of a fresh progeny in April.

DISSIMILAR LEAVES OF THE HART'S-TONGUE.

The habit of the plant is well marked, and is decidedly different from every other species. Any further description is therefore needless, except to notice that the form of the frond is elongate, linear, and undivided ; acute at the apex or termination, and cordate at the base. Such is the case when fully developed ; but seedling plants present a variety of forms, and the young botanist will do well to remember the peculiarities which they occasionally assume.

FERXS AND MOSSES.

131

Those who like to collect memorial plants, may find dwarf specimens on the old gateway leading to Saltwood Castle, in Kent — last halting-place of the murderer of Thomas a-Bcc - ket ; luxuriant ones, on the left hand bank leading from that once stronghold of feudal splendour, where they grow in company with several other species.

It is more than probable that the plant mentioned by Gerard under the name of Hemionitis stcrilis, found by him in a gravelly lane leading to Oxey Park, near Watford, fifteen miles from London, and also on the wall of Hampton Court, was no other than the Hart's-tongue. " It is a very small and base herb," wrote he, " not above a finger high,

OSMUND UOYAL.

having four or five small leaves of the same substance and colour, and spotted ou the back like unto Hart's-tongue." The dwarfish appearance which the old herbalist describes, may be ascribed without doubt to its sterile growing-place : for, although individuals of the species grow luxuriantly in the clefts, or on the summits of high rocks, this peculiarity

HAXDY 1500K OF

results from the moisture imparted by clouds and vapours in their lofty domiciles. We have frequently had occasion to notice, that plants which prefer humid situations in low grounds, thrive equally well on hill-tops, and that for the .same reason.

Hail to the banks of Loch Tync, and those of far-famed Killarney ! Our specimen was gathered in the first home of the Flowering -fern, or French brachcn — the Osmwida rcf/ahs of authors — the crown prince of English ferns. Though widely diffused throughout various portions of Great Britain and Ireland, the species is nowhere more abundant or luxurious than in the above-mentioned localities, rising at one time to the height of eight feet, at another bending gracefully over the water's edge. This peculiarity is very obvious at Killarney, where the long fronds form arcades of verdure, affording a Avcleome shelter to the nimble coot, from whence she gazes fearlessly on the tourist, though often skimming near in his rapid boat. Beautiful are the lakes, and mountains, and trees of this wild spot ; and yet Sir Walter Scott, when visiting Killarney, uttered not a word in praise of them, till he reached the place where grew the Flowering-fern, and then it was that he broke silence, saying, " This is worth coming to see." " And truly," wrote jSTewman, to whom we are indebted for the anecdote, " I did not wonder at the great man's taste ; to me it appeared the most wonderfully beautiful spot I had ever beheld, and this beauty is mainly owing to the immense sixc- and number of "the French brachcn' s pendant fronds." Widely is this fern distributed, and yet its " metropolis'1 appears to be the west of Ireland, more particularly Con- neniara, where it not unfrequently covers the smaller islands with a carpet of verdure ; those in the centre being generally rigid and erect, such as grow around the margin pendulous. You cannot mistake it wherever growing, as, with the ex- ception of the lonely Moonwort, no other fern bears its seeds in spikes. The roots are strong and fibrous ; the rhizoma

1KKXS .VXD MOSSES. 13o

tufted, and very large, and hence capable of annually pro- diieing such a weight of foliage ; young fronds, varying in number from six to twelve, appear in May, and attain ma- turity in August. Unlike the Hart's-tongue, they cannot bear the severity of winter, but shrink from the first frosts, and presently disappear. Xo sooner, however, do the suUen^clouds of an ungenial season pass away, and fierce winds cease to howl through forest walks, than they come forth from their hiding-places with a rapid and vigorous growth, and, until nearly brown, present a reddish hue. The fronds are fertile and barren.

We owe to Dr. Withering the appropriate name of " flower-crowned prince of English ferns," by which he- designates the lordly brachen. He speaks of.it as affording a curious instance in its seeds of long- suspended vitality, as the plant, though previously unknown for many miles around Birmingham, suddenly appeared on an archery- butt at Moseley Common, artificially raised with mud from a deep pit, wherein the seeds had probably lain for a great length of time. Do not fail to procure this interesting- species ; it is very available for rock-work, especially if removed with a portion of bog-earth, and can scarcely fail to produce an ornamental effect wherever growing. Take care to avoid cutting with the spade its enormous rhizoma ; when this is done the plant becomes so much weakened as scarcely to recover its pristine vigour ; but, should the injury accidently occur, observe that the rhizoma has a whitish core or centre, termed by old Gerard, in his " Herbal," " the heart of Osmund the Waterman."

Botanists trace in the Moonwort — Botrychium lunaria of Smith and Hooker, the Osnutnda lunaria of Linnams, which often, from its diminutive size, escapes that notice which the stately Osmuncfa rcyalis cannot elude — a fancied re- semblance to the moon, presented by its leaves, and which has caused it to be held in superstitious reverence. Many a youth and damsel have gone forth beneath the clear calm

134

HANDY BOOK OF

beams of the full moon, to gather its "leaves of power/' printing the dewy sod with noiseless tread, and dreading to

5IOONWORT.

look around. And still the cottage by the wood remains, as poets tell, with its bee -hives and gushing streams —

" "Whence rapidly, with foot as light As young musk roe's, out she flew, To cull each shining leaf that grew, Beneath the moonlight's hallowing beams."

Singular varieties occasionally occur, but the specimen in oxir fern-book is the most frequent. Though widely dis-

FKHXS AND MOSSES. 135

tributed in various parts, it is yet somewhat rare, and is more widely diffused in England than in either Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. The root differs materially from that of the true fern, as also the rhizoma, which appears little more than a sxibterraneous portion of the root. Newman, whose observations on this favourite branch of natural his- tory are derived from personal inspection, notices that before the Moon-.wort has felt the influence of spring it exists in a quiescent state, consisting of a simple stem scarcely an inch in length, and placed vertically in the earth, somewhat attenuated at the lower extremity, while the upper has a whitish bud-like termination, the embryo frond of the coming season. That part of the rhizoma which especially derives nourishment from the earth, bears two distinct whorls of thick yellowish succulent roots ; the upper portion is encased in alternate scale-like sheaths, and the elongation of the rhizoma shows that the young frond is about to shoot. The frond, which is almost universally a single one, appears in April 'br ilay, erect and straight, as if to welcome the coming back of the swallow people ! It is fertile except in seeding plants, and occasionally reaches the height of six inches.

The Adder's- tongue ( Ophioglossum vulyatum] is generally distributed throughout England, but is comparatively scarce in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Its favourite growing- places are moist, damp meadows, and the sides of streamlets, where the scarlet Lychnis loves to nestle ; and is occasionally so abundant as to cover acres of grass-land with its long, smooth, hollow frond, appearing in May, and withering at the latter end of August. A few only of the fronds are fertile, and from out the acute and slanting, the deep green and leafy portion of such, uprises a straight, erect, club- shaped spike, somewhat longer than the leafy part, and bearing seeds in a double longitudinal row. When the seeds are fully ripe, you may readily see the gradual opening of the theca) transversely, waiting, as it were, for the pass-

136

'HANDY HOOK OF PERNS AND MOStiES.

ing-by of autumn winds, that bear them in their airy chariots over dale and hill.

Thus ends our pleasant converse about the family of British Ferns and Mosses. As regards the first, we have transferred, fi-om their growing-places to the leaves of our Herbarium, all known species ; and while remembering the many healthy Avalks which we have taken together, let us not forget their names and characteristic peculiarities : and when the voice of Spring again summons the sleeping tribes, let us go forth to welcome them. As respects the second, we have briefly noticed a very few ; trusting that the beauties or peculiarities of such may incline the votaries of nature to desire a farther acquaintance with their tribe.

ADDER' S-TONGUE.

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