When  ripe  these  bodies  (which  are  capsules,)  open  spontaneously
with  an  elastic  force.     The  brown  dust  which  we  find  come  off


860  TKABTSAcnoiqi  or  tbe

the  fern  leaves  when  we  pull  them  off,  are  the  capsules  emptied  of
their  seeds.  These  seeds  may  be  gathered  hj  applying  humid  soil
to  the  leaves,  thus  absorbing  the  fern  seed.  This  should  be  kept
in  a  warm,  humid  shady  place.  The  seeds  vegetate  soon  and  as
abundantly  as  the  mustard  and  cress  do.  In  six  months  the  plants
will  be  nearly  six  inches  high.
Jfote  hy  H.  Meigs — ^Lindley  in  his  Vegetable  Kingdom,  calls
Ferns  "  Polypodlacese,  of  the  FUical  alliance."  There  is  an  enor-
mous disproportion  between  Ferns  and  the  rest  of  the  Flora,  In
certain  tropical  islands,  such  as  Jamaica.  They  are  fotmd  in  all
countries,  even  m  Oreenland,  where  they  constitute  one^tenth  part
of  the  Phcanogamus  plants.  These  Ferns  contain,  183  genera  with
2,000  species.
Mr.  Meigs  observed  that  the  fall  of  the  old  charter  oak  of  Con*
necticut,  had  excited  much  attention,  and  thought  that  a  similar
event  1800  years  ago  was, worth  mentioning.  In  the  year  58  the
great  tree  of  Rome,  called  Ruminalis,  (fi*om  the  ancient  word  Ru-
men, which  meant  Teat,)  under  whose  shade  Romulus  and  Remus
were  suckled  by  a  wolf,  began  to  wither  in  all  its  branches,  and
threatened  total  decay.  It  stood  in  the  place  where  the  election
polls  were  always  held.  The  Romans  felt  a  superstitious  dread
at  this,  but  the  old  tree  recovered  its  ancient  verdure,  although
eight  hundred  and  forty  years  had  passed  away  since  that  miracu-
lous nursing  of  the  founders  of  that  famous  Empire.
