PREFACE. 5 



in the world devoted exclusively to ferns. In its pages 

 now appears the bulk of the periodical literature of fern's. 

 Eight volumes have been issued. 



In this book have been included descriptions and 

 illustrations of every species known to grow in North 

 America north of the Gulf States and east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, this area forming a more or less natural floral 

 region. With few exceptions they have been treated in 

 related groups and arranged as nearly as possible ac- 

 cording to season, those first to fruit coming first in the 

 book. By means of the illustrated Key to the Genera 

 it is believed that no one will have difficulty in ascertain- 

 ing the name of any specimen he may find. 



In view of the present unsettled state of botanical 

 nomenclature, it has seemed best to adopt, in this volume, 

 the botanical names longest in common use. They will 

 certainly be less likely to confuse the beginner, since 

 they are the names used by a majority of fern students 

 and those by which the species are usually mentioned in 

 other books. Botanists have recently proposed many 

 changes in the interests of a more stable nomenclature, 

 but these changes have not been generally accepted. 

 Until they have been, they cannot properly be used in a 

 volume of this nature. A complete account of these 

 changes, however, has been inserted in the text for 

 convenience of reference and in addition, a check-list has 

 been included at the end of the book, which gives the 

 other names by which the various species have been 

 known in America. 



The early botanists were mainly engaged in describing 

 new species and have left for us the pleasanter task 

 of discovering the curious and interesting facts about 

 them. In this direction still lies a practically virgin 



