PREFACE. 



VERYONE who has attempted to ascertain tho name of a plant by comparing it with 

 mere descriptions, is aware of tho difficulty of effecting the object unless lie is more 

 familiar with the technical languago of scionco than those commonly arc who, 

 although admirers of delicate texture, beautiful colour, or graceful form, do not 

 £J profess to be skilful Botanists. Even with tho aid of drawings; investigation often 

 icads to no satisfactory result, in consequent of tho inability of art to represent 

 faithfully the minute peculiarities by which natural objects are often best distinguished. If 

 this is so with plants in general it is most especially true of Ferns, the complicated forms ami 

 tender organisation of which baffle the most skilful and patient artist, who can only give at 

 the best an imperfect sketch of what he supposes to bo their more important features. And 

 herein lies the great defect of all pictorial representations. The draughtsman can do no more than 

 delineate a part of what ho sees ; and whether he sees correctly what lie delineates will at all times bo 

 a matter of doubt, especially where, as in natural history, minute accuracy is indispensable. But if 

 minute accuracy is of more vital importance in one than another race of plants, it is most especially so 

 among Ferns, in the distinctions of which tho form of indentations, general outline, the exact manner 

 in which repeated subdivision is effected, and most especially tho distribution of veins scarcely visible 

 to the naked eye, play the most important part. To express such facts with tho necessary accuracy, the 

 art of a Talbot or a Daguorro was insufficient, nor could they bo represented pictorially until 

 Natuhe-Prixtiso was brought to its present state of perfection. 



Attempts were long since made to obtain Botanical portraits by printing from tho plants 

 themselves, flattened and otherwise prepared for the purpose. By this means impressions of leaves 

 were produced with some success, and oven of small branches. Rude as the process was, and imperfect 

 the result, it was nevertheless found that the figures thus procured were far more characteristic than 

 any which artists could produce, as was to bo expected, indeed, from tho absolute accuracy of the 

 representations as far as they went No one who had ever seen a Rose-leaf could fail to recognise its 

 impression, or was likely to mistake it for that of an Ash-tree ; and the more tho impression was 

 studied, tho more did tho truth of all its details carry conviction to the mind. The fault of tho method 

 consisted in its limited application, and its incompleteness. 



The process of the Imperial Printing Office at Vienna, to which the name of Nature-Printing has 

 been happily applied, and to which the Work now offered to the public owes its origin, is a great 

 improvement upon tho old method, inasmuch as it represents not only general form with absolute 

 accuracy, but also surface, hairs, veins, and other minutia: of superficial structure by which plants are 

 known irrespective of tho hidden details of their internal organisation. Moreover, an exact copy in 

 copper of the part to be represented being employed by the printer, instead of so fragile an object as 

 the plant itself, we obtain the means of multiplying copies to tho same extent as in copperplate 

 engraving ; and hence the method becomes suitable for purposes of publication. The Germans have 

 already availed themselves of the art, and with considerable success. Von Hcufler has published 

 a specimen of the Cryptogamous plants of the Valley of Arpasch,* some of tho figures in which are 

 admirable representations of nature ; and other works arc announced as having made their apjicnraiicc, 

 or being in preparation, in the Austrian dominions. 



" SjOTimrn II«» Ctj jilu^aaur tall it Aij-vsh Cnrp»t«r Tninsylvmi; ronxrii^it LqiIoikih 1>|fm do Ilniflrr. Vienna, 1853. Imwiul CuIm. 



