BRITISH FERNS, CLUBMOSSES, 

 AND HORSETAILS 



CHAPTER I 



PAST HISTORY 



" Here about the beach I wandered, nourishing a youth sublime 

 With the fairy tales of science and the long result of Time." 



TENNYSON. 



To every boy and girl who falls in early years under 

 the spell of the fairy tales of childhood there comes a 

 time, sooner or later, wjien the doings of giants and 

 fairy godmothers, the secrets of enchanted castles, and 

 the wondrous powers of magic carpets, cease to charm. 

 Happy are they who at this time have their thoughts 

 directed to those greater marvels of which the poet 

 sings, " the fairy tales of science and the long result 

 of Time." 



In the first volume of this series, entitled " Wild 

 Flowers and their Wonderful Ways," the fairy tale 

 which Science has revealed in the lives of plants is 

 unfolded, and what an entrancing tale it is ! But we 

 may not retell it here. Rather have we to deal with 



B.F. I 



