22 FERNS ■. BK1TISH AND POEEIGN. 



containing nearly 300 species, which, upon his death 

 in 1846, was purchased by Dr. Forbes Young, of 

 Lambeth, who considerably augmented it ; but unfor- 

 tunately the death of its second owner, in 1859, 

 caused its dispersion. Few amateurs at the present 

 day study Ferns scientifically, or form collections 

 numerically large in species, the principal of those 

 in the neighbourhood of London devoting their atten- 

 tion to a select number of the most beautiful ones, 

 such as are well known to the frequenters of our 

 metropolitan flower-shows. I must, however, except 

 E. J. Lowe, Esq., of Beeston, near Nottingham, who 

 formed a considerable collection, and published an 

 illustrated work upon them in nine octavo volumes. 



In the public and private gardens on the Conti- 

 nent Ferns claimed a large share of attention, and 

 many of these possess fine collections of them, con- 

 taining numerous species not yet known in British 

 gardens, though our nurserymen are constantly on the 

 look-out for novelties, and import a great number 

 from these sources. I have mentioned above that the 

 directors of the Botanic Garden of Berlin, at an early 

 period, possessed an extensive collection, and many 

 species are reputed to have been raised in this esta- 

 blishment. The publication of the " Ferns of ,the 

 Leipzig Garden," an illustrated work, in folio, by Dr. 

 Mettenius, shows that the garden under his direction 

 is exceedingly rich in Ferns, and the University fortu- 

 nate in having a Professor so well able to do justice 

 to the collection. At Vienna, also, a collection of Ferns 

 has long existed under the direction of the late Dr. 

 Schott. Several other German gardens, as those at 

 Gcettingen and Herrenhausen, also possess a consider- 



