SECTION II. 



FERN GROUPS. 



r I S HERE is relationship in the fern-world ; 

 and although we do not propose strictly 

 to adopt the distinctions made by botanists, we 

 shall observe a certain order in arranging our 

 favourites. Hitherto we have described those 

 ferns which live, so to speak, in a sort of isola- 

 tion. Of the ten first described, each one stands 

 alone, and is, so far as Britain is concerned, the 

 only species of its genus. In treating of these, 

 we have not thought it necessary to place them 

 according to any particular method of arrange- 

 ment. There is a certain relationship existing 

 between the Moonwort and the Adders-tongue, 

 and there is even a closer affinity between the 

 two species of the last-named fern ; but we 

 have not considered it necessary to place these 



