PREFACE. vii 
notes furnished by Mr. J. G. Baker, assistant Curator of 
the Kew Herbarium. 
The original MS. was nearly ready for publication 
in 1864, since when it has been rewritten and revised 
under my direction, and before being sent to press 
(submitted to Mr. James Britten, of the Botanical 
Department of the British Museum. The proof sheets 
have been (with the exception of a few of the early 
ones) corrected by Mr. Robert Heward, F.LS. I 
therefore trust that the typographical errors, &c., 
which may have escaped notice are few. 
I should not have ventured to have added the plates 
to the work if it had not been that Mr. W. H. Fitch, 
the eminent botanical artist undertook to prepare the 
drawings, and to superintend them through the press; 
from having drawn all the figures of Ferns published 
by Sir W. Hooker in his several works, he has become 
well acquainted with tbe structure and generic character 
of Ferns. We have also for many years at various 
times exchanged views regarding special points of struc- 
ture, I have, therefore, no hesitation in accepting the 
plates as correct. 
Although this work is entitled the History of Ferns, 
it nevertheless must be understood that it does not 
describe. .species, nor does it treat of their microscopical ` 
structure or chemical products, the chief aim of the 5 
