704? Figures and Descriptions of Ferns. 



Hooker i W. J"., LL.D., and Greville, H. K., LL.D. : Icones 

 Filicum .ad eas potissimum Species illustrandas desti- 

 natae quae hactenus vel in herbariis delituerunt prorsus 

 incognita?, vel saltern nondum per Icones botanicis inno- 

 tuerunt : or, Figures and Descriptions of Ferns, principally 

 of such as have been altogether unnoticed by Botanists, or 

 have as yet not been correctly figured. In two vols, folio. 

 London, 1831. With the plates coloured, 24 guineas; 

 with the plates uncoloured, 151, 



All of our readers acquainted with ferns, in however few 

 species, are well aware that these plants are distinguished 

 from all others by an interesting peculiarity, beauty, and de- 

 licacy of structure, by great diversity and remarkableness in 

 form, and by the varied manner in which their jewel-like 

 masses of capsules are studded over the inferior face of the 

 fronds. These remarks apply, without any qualification, 

 even to the species native to Great Britain ; and very gratify- 

 ing, therefore, it is, to be able to witness in what degree the 

 same interestingness appertains to the species of other coun- 

 tries. To do this the work before us enables all who will 

 consult it, to the extent of 240 exotic species ; and these col- 

 lectively exhibiting, as they belong to many distinct genera, 

 and are natives of various countries, a copious variety of form, 

 of aspect, and of structure. The geographical range of the 

 species depicted will appear from the authors who have con- 

 tributed to the enrichment of this work by their presents 

 of native specimens, and by their very useful observations. 

 They are, chiefly. Dr. Wallich, of the Calcutta botanic gar- 

 den ; the Rev. Lansdowne Guilding, of St. Vincent ; Dr. Ban- 

 croft, Mr. Wiles, and Mr. Lunan, of Jamaica; Professor 

 William Jameson, of Quito ; Charles Telfair, Esq., and Pro- 

 fessor Bojer, of the Mauritius; and the late Mr. Charles Fraser, 

 of New Holland. Opposite the picture of each species is placed 

 the description of it, which is usually of a technical kind, and 

 in Latin, followed by a few general observations in English. 

 Of the superb Alsophila aspera, a fern attaining the magnitude 

 of a tree, being from 20 to 25 feet high, three plates and a 

 diffuse description are given. To Dr. Wallich the authors 

 declare their very great obligation " for continued supplies of 

 the ferns of the vast continents of India; and these," say they, 

 " have now arrived to so great an extent — and these not alone 

 from Dr. Wallich, but also from Dr. Wight, of Madras — 

 that the authors contemplate, under the sanction and patron- 

 age of the Hon. the Board of Directors of the East India 

 Company, to form for them a new and separate publication, 



