80 
through the courtesy of the curators of various European 
Professor Underwood always insisted on the necessity of the 
study of type material in connection with revisionary work, and 
he probably did more in the line of “international” study than 
any other botanist has done. 
But in addition to North American material, the fern herbarium 
contains a considerable collection from other regions, notably 
uth America. The flora of the northern part of that continent 
is particularly important in connection with the preparation of 
North American Flora, as many species are common to the 
tropics of both regions, and the real relationships of some of these 
can be determined only by studying them throughout their 
ranges. Bcigece the collections of H. H. Smith, R. S. Williams, 
usby, and Miguel Bang, together with parts of earlier 
eee the Garden has now a fair representation of the ferns 
of northern South America. 
The Old-World ferns are of course not nearly as well repre- 
At present they are divided into four collections. Two 
of these, the Hawaiian ws and the Japanese ferns, are being 
studied by Miss W. J. Robinson and Miss M. P. Anderson 
respectively, in connection with graduate work at Columbia. A 
third set of Philippine ferns has been partly identitied but awaits 
a student who will take them up thoroughly, making use of the 
larg 
principally by Dr. E. B. Copeland and Dr. Hermann Christ. 
The material consists principally of a splendid set of Mr. 
Williams’ collection, but includes also a considerable amount 
obtained from the Government botanists and a few numbers of 
older collectors. 
he remaining Old-World material is included in the general 
fern herbarium and consists principally of scattered collections. 
has proved to be remarkably rich in undescribed species, and 
although a number of European botanists have worked with 
other sets of his plants, there are undoubtedly many novelties yet 
to be distinguished. 
