CHAPTER IV. 



SOMETHING OF THE LITERATURE OF FERNS. 



P to 1877, no work upon the ferns, either of 

 a scientific or popular nature, had been 

 published in North America. There were 

 only a few magazine articles, short papers in the 

 transactions of scientific societies, with here and 

 there a page or two in the Government Exploring 

 Expedition Reports ; while our botanies contained 

 only the ferns growing east of the Mississippi. 

 In the various European books on ferns, there are 

 many illustrations of North- American species; 

 but it is necessary to consult a large number of 

 volumes in order to find them all. The greatest 

 number of American species will be found in the 

 works of Sir W. J. and Sir Joseph D. Hooker. 

 Lowe's books on ferns contain many, but the illus- 

 trations are not of the highest order. The want 

 of an American treatise on this subject is now 

 being supplied in the most satisfactory manner 

 by tlie publication by Mr. Cassino of a finely-illus- 



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