FERN GROWING 173 



He died on the 28th of February 1889, aged 63, and 

 was buried in Redland Green churchyard, Bristol. 



In 1867 he started his collection of Ferns. 



In the present memoir the author has to refer more 

 especially to his connection with British Ferns. He was one 

 of the founders of the " Pteridological Society," a Society 

 which authorised the publication of a certain number of 

 Nature-printed Impressions of the Varieties of the British 

 Species of Ferns, that were to be distributed to the members 

 of the Society at a small (inadequate) cost. Before the first 

 of this series was issued, the Society had ceased to exist, 

 but between January 1876 and December 1880 these plates 

 (between three hundred and four hundred in number) were 

 issued, and the somewhat large additional expense was cheer- 

 fully borne by Colonel Jones. It had originally been the 

 intention of the Rev, Charles Padley to produce this series, 

 and his exceptional mastery of the subject well fitted him for 

 this labour. He had selected Mr. Thomas Smith to execute 

 the illustrations, and had caused him to be instructed in the 

 best system of Nature Printing then in vogue ; but Mr. Padley 

 abandoned the project, and Colonel Jones then took it in hand 

 and secured Mr. Smith's services. Mr. Smith had a natural 

 taste for, and good knowledge of. Ferns, and this being com- 

 bined with technical skill, he commenced a process never 

 before attempted in that way, and excellently executed the 

 plates. Through a pressure of business, however, Mr. Smith 

 had to relinquish the work, and for the latter portion of 

 this undertaking we are indebted to Colonel Jones and his 

 sister and daughters, to whom Mr. Smith had communicated 

 the details of his system of " Nature Printing,'' and who 

 continued the production of the plates admirably. 



Colonel Jones was passionately fond of Ferns, and in 

 the latter portion of his life made frequent excursions to 

 various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in quest 



