706 Hooker and Grexntte's Ferns. 



ference could be made for the solution of every puzzle and 

 every difficulty ; for the introductions previously extant, though 

 good in their day, or in application to the system to which 

 they were formed, were usually found provokingly defective 

 when consulted in relation to the prevailing system of natural 

 affinities. This state of deficiency it is the office of the pre- 

 sent Introduction to remedy, by including within itself all the 

 modern views of the science, and of the considerations attached 

 to it, and explanations and illustrations of all the terms em- 

 ployed in it, as devised and published up to the period of 

 putting the work to press. It will be found a most satisfac- 

 tory volume ; and in closing our notice of it, we have only to 

 express our hope, that, at the expiration of every second year 

 at most, a new edition of it, including all improvements 

 which the progress of the science may have evolved in the 

 interim, will be regularly supplied to the public. 



HooJcer, TV. J., L. L. D., and Greville, R. K., L. L. D. : Icones 

 Filicum ad eas potissimum Species illustrandas destinatae 

 quae hactenus vel in herbariis delitueruntprorsus incognita?, 

 vel saltern nondum per Icones botanicis innotuerunt : or, 

 Figures and Descriptions of Ferns, principally of such as 

 have been altogether unnoticed by Botanists, or have as 

 yet not been correctly figured. In two vols, folio. Lon- 

 don, 1831. With the plates coloured, 24 guineas; with 

 the plates uncoloured, 1 5l. 



These two magnificent but very expensive volumes supply 

 a valuable help to our farther acquaintance with those very 

 interesting plants, the Ferns, They present figures and de- 

 scriptions of 240 exotic species ; and in the descriptions of 

 these, allusions, in contradistinction, are made to additional 

 species. Some new genera are founded, and new systematic 

 affinities indicated. The species figured and described in the 

 work are from India, St. Vincent's, Jamaica, Quito, the Mau- 

 ritius, and New Holland ; so that, besides the interest which 

 the species from each country may intrinsically possess, they 

 associate an extrinsic interest, in serving as a sample of all 

 the fern productions of the countries from which they have 

 been severally derived. 



In closing this work, the authors present their thanks to 

 various gentlemen resident in the above countries for their 

 valuable assistance to it, by the contribution of native speci- 

 mens, and by descriptive notices appertaining to them. To 

 Dr. Wallich, in particular, the authors declare their very 

 great obligation, " for continued supplies of the Ferns of the 

 vast continent of India; and these," say they, "have now 



