PREFACE TO THE ILLUSTRATED (FOURTH) EDITION. 



Nature. The actual fronds of the Ferns to be 

 represented were mounted on cards, and pho- 

 tographed the requisite size for the pages of ' THE 

 FERN WORLD.' The photographs were transferred 

 to the stone blocks of the lithographer, who by 

 this process could not fail to obtain perfectly 

 accurate representations of the Ferns themselves. 

 The Fern figures in the present volume have 

 been obtained by an equally accurate and 

 faithful process, although the manner of repre- 

 sentation is different, no colouring or veining 

 as in the case of the ' THE FERN WORLD' 

 being attempted. The fronds here represented 

 were laid upon white card-board, grouped in the 

 manner shown in the plates. By a slow and 

 laborious process their actual impress was taken, 

 and the identical figures thus obtained were photo- 

 graphed on the blocks of the engraver, who thus 

 had before him the identical images which were 

 to be marked in by his graving tools. It is due 

 to Mr. J. D. Cooper, to whose direction this work 



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