PREFACE TO TEE FIEST EDITION. 



TVT EAKLY ten years have now elapsed since my 

 JL 1 " Catalogue of Cultivated Perns " was pub- 

 lished. During that period many new and fine species 

 have been introduced to the gardens of this country. 

 I have therefore been induced to draw up the follow- 

 ing enumeration, including in it all the species that 

 have come under my notice in a living state, either by 

 the evidence of plants in the Kew collection or by 

 specimens from living plants sent me from various 

 sources. 



Thinking it might be interesting to Fern growers, 

 I have drawn up a brief history of the introduction 

 of Exotic Ferns from the earliest records to the present 

 time. 



In order to assist students in the study of Ferns, 

 an explanation is given of tho principal organs and 

 terms used in describing them, as well as remarks 

 on their classification. I have also given an alpha- 

 betical list of the generic names, accompanied with 

 the derivation of each name. 



Great complaints are frequently made, and not with- 



