FERN HABITATS. 21 



is remembered that the opportunities of obtaining the 

 topographical information which has been published in 

 books on this subject have necessarily been limited, it 

 may fairly be assumed that the habitats of these ferns 

 are much more numerous than they are generally sup- 

 posed to be. Small as are the British Islands, and 

 thoroughly overrun as are most parts of them, there are, 

 nevertheless, tens of thousands of places suitable for the 

 growth of ferns that are practically terra incognita, 

 though not by any means inaccessible to the fern-hunter. 

 The Author of this volume has frequently, in the earlier 

 days of his fern-hunting excursions, in looking for rare 

 ferns in places to which experienced guides have directed 

 him, by taking the trouble to look further in the same 

 neighbourhood, come upon places surprisingly rich in 

 specimens whose existence had been wholly unsuspected 

 and obviously unknown. These " finds " have been due 

 to careful notings of the favourite habitats of the species, 

 and to the application of this knowledge to the practical 

 working of a system of persistent and elaborate search. 

 Yet the occupation has always been a pleasurable one, 

 and has only been undertaken as a delightful holiday 

 pastime. 



What is true of small districts is likely to be equally 

 true of large ones. The Author believes that many 

 ferns, supposed to be entirely absent from certain parts 

 of this country, are really present, but undiscovered. 

 He has had many proofs, furnished to him by numerous 

 correspondents, of the occurrence of certain ferns in 

 counties and districts never before recorded as possess- 

 ing them. 



One especial feature of this volume will be its indi- 

 cations of the particular positions in which ferns grow, so 

 that the exact places in which to look for the various 

 species may be known. This information, derived from 

 the Author's own knowledge, will be supplemented by the 

 fullest possible lists of the counties for the more widely 



