Vlil PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 







preface of the first edition, and who being well 

 acquainted with the principal Fern collections in this 

 country, makes it a special point to obtain a know- 

 ledge of all new introductions. 



For my knowledge of the additions to the Kew 

 collection since 1864, I am indebted to the kindness 

 of Dr. Hooker for having mentioned to Mr. Baker, 

 the Assistant Curator in the Kew Herbarium, my 

 desire to obtain a list of the new introductions, which 

 he readily furnished me ; and whom I have also further 

 to thank for special information regarding certain 

 species. The number of new species introduced since 

 the last enumeration amount to 234, of which the 

 names of about one-half are derived from Mr. Baker's 

 list, some of which are specially interesting as consti- 

 tuting several genera new to this work, which will be 

 found noticed under their respective tribes. 



I continue to follow Sir William Hooker's " Species 

 Filicum " * in the adoption of specific names and 

 synonyms as far as possible ; at the same time availing 

 myself of certain corrections, made by Mr. J. Gr. Baker 

 in a work entitled " Synopsis Filicum," being an 

 abridgment of the " Species Filicum," this work 

 was commenced by Sir William Hooker, the first part 

 of which was published in 1865, only a few months 

 before the death of that celebrated Pteridologist ; it 

 was, however, taken up and completed by Mr. Baker, 

 forming a volume of 482 pages, containing brief 



* A work in five volumes, being a description of all known 

 ferns. 



