SIR W. HOOKER'S PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 



The Author, having recently completed his " Species Filicuin," * now 

 offers to the public a " Synopsis of all known Ferns," which contains, besides 

 brief diagnoses of the species described "haore in detail in that work, together 

 with their geographical distribution as far as yet ascertained, such additions 

 and corrections as have come to his knowledge, together with an account 

 of the Sub-Ordei^ Osmundace.e, ScHiZ/EA.CEiE, Marattiace/e, and Ophio- 

 GLOSSACE.E. He does not, however, propose to include the Ltjcopodiacece, 

 Salviniacece, Marsileacece, Isoetacece, and Equisetacece, which differ much 

 from these, and it may be said from each other, and which have of late 

 engaged the study of several able monographers. He further intends to 

 depart from the scope of the '* Species Filicum " in another point, which 

 requii-es a few words of explanation. 



lu the Introduction to the " Species Filicum," the Author stated that he 

 had included in that work a considerable number of imperfectly described 

 species, of which he had seen neither specimens nor figures, solely because 

 they had been proposed by authors of reputation. These he now thinks 

 it desirable to omit. No doubt many are described under different names ; 

 of others there is no prospect of anything further being known ; and of 

 all the characters ai^e so vague, or imperfect, or prolix, that it is impossible 

 to define them by brief diagnostic characters, such as alone are suited to 

 the pages of a Synopsis. 



After upwards of half a century, more or less continuously passed in the 

 study of Ferns in the richest Herbarium of that Order in the world (his 

 own), and latterly with the aid of the finest in cultivation (that of the 

 Royal Gardens of Kew) ; t and after the devotion of fully half that number 



* In 5 vols. Svo, with 300 plates representing upwards of 500 species, 

 t The formation of this fine collection is mainly due to the exertions and ability of 

 Mr. John Smith, who for forty-three years held an important position among the officers 

 of the Koyal Gardens. His knowledge of Ferns, and his writings upon them, justly 

 entitle him to rank among the most distinguished Pteridologists of the present day. 



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