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TH E FLOW ER IN G FER N : in Scotland, F r e n c h R r a c h e n .
O sm u n d a r e g a l is of Authors.
LOCALITIES.
E n g la n d . . . Yorkshire, near Leeds; Cumberland and "Westmoreland, Hesket Moss, and throughout
the lake d istric t; Lancashire, at Speke, near Liverpool, on the banks of the
Mersey, near Warrington, on Chat Moss, on the bog near Newton, on the Manchester
and Liverpool line of railway in great abundance ; Chester, by the side of
the Mersey, in several localities ; Shropshire, at West Felton, and by the bank of
Ellesmere Lake, very lu xuriant; Warwickshire, abundant on Moseley Common,
Birmingham, and in several other localities; Derbyshire, localities too numerous
to detail; Devonshire, Turfmoor, near Shopwick, and other localities too
numerous to detail; Cornwall, Gwithian, St. Ives, Land’s-end, Scilly Islands;
Sussex, Parham Park, Uckfield Lake near Lewis, Amberley, and in Ashdown
fo re s t; Surrey, abundant near Reigate, Broadmoor, at the southern foot of Leith
Hill, Sutton Common, Bagshot H e a th ; Kent, neighbourhood of Tunbridge
Wells, Keston Heath, Hayes Common; Essex, in Epping Forest sparingly, only
three or four plants have been obtained at Danbury, covering h a lf an acre of
ground ; Suffolk; Norfolk ; Isle of W ig h t; Isle of Man.
W a l e s Caernarvonshire, near Pont Aberglasslyn ; Merionethshire, near Barmouth, near
Llaneltyd, near Ha rle ch ; Cardiganshire, near Aberystwith, near the Devil’s
b rid g e ; Glamorganshire, near Swansea, Singleton bog, Cromlyn bog.
S c o t la nd . . . Throughout the Western Highlands of very frequent occurrence, on Lochs Achray,
Katrine, Lomond, Long, Fyne, and Awe, very lu x u ria n t; Lanarkshire.
IRELAND, . . . County Donegal, on Lough Salt sparingly, on the banks of the river Guibarra, near
Docharty bridge in profusion, and of enormous size, near Glenties ab u n d an t;
County Fermanagh, on the borders of Loughs Erne and Macnean; County
Leitrim, near Manorhamilton; County Sligo, near Sligo, and along the road from
thence to Ballisodare and Dromore ; County Mayo, at the foot of Nephin, and in
the neighbourhood of Lough Conn, Coraan Achill, Isle of Achill, Newport, Westport,
between Westport and Leenane ; County Galway, abundant between Leenane
and Clifden, and between Clifden and Reundstone, particularly on the small
islands in the lakes, some of which it densely covers, Urrisbeg, Ballinahinch, the
Recess, banks of Lake Shindella, Oughterard, Galway, Oranmore, Loughrea,
Aughrim and Ballinasloe; King’s county, a t Shannon harbour; County Clare,
Kilrush, Kilkee, and along the Atlantic coast, in many places; County Kerry,
Tarbert, Listhowel, Tralee, Killarney most abundant, Kenmare; County Cork,
Glengarriff, and near Bantry, Skibbereen, Rosscarbery, Cronakilty, Bandon,
Cork, Rathcormack, Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Youghal; County Limerick, near
Limerick, Castle Connel, Mitchelstown; County Tipperary, Cahir, Clonmel,
Carrick-on-Suir; County Waterford, at May Park, near Waterford; Counties
Kilkenny and Wexford, on both banks of the Barrow, near Ross; County
Wicklow, on Lough Dan.
By a reference to the synoptical table of genera, it will be
seen that this, and the remaining species, are separated hy
botanists from the true fe rn s; from these they differ greatly
in the mode of fructification, and more nearly approach the
genera Equisetum and Ly-
copodium, which I have
altogether omitted. By our
modern continental authors,
Sadler, Presl, &c., these
three genera are not included
in their lists of ferns.
I have been induced to append
them to my little
monograph, not with the
view of expressing any
difference of opinion on the
subject, hut because the
species are interesting and
certainly would be regarded
as ferns by that numerous
class of which I am myself
a member, and which is apt
to decide more by external
appearance than by less observable
characters and minute
structural differences.
On the banks of Loch
Fyne, where its habit is rigid
and erect, as in the accompanying
figure, I have seen
this noble fern reaching the
height of eight f e e t; growing
thus, it is beautiful, but I
think it is still more so if
pendant, a character it assumes
when springing from the water’s edge. I noticed a beautiful
instance of this at Killarney, where it completely fringes the
river between the lakes, and certainly forms a most prominent
feature in that lovely hut neglected portion of Killarney’s far-
famed scenery. So altered is the usual character of this fern,
that its long fronds arch gracefully over, and dip their masses of
seed in the crystal water, while the saucy Coots, from beneath the
canopy it affords them, gaze fearlessly on the visitors who are