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We consider ourselves fortunate in being able to publish, in 

 a single issue, two such important contributions to fern study as 

 Air. Curtiss' "Fern Flora of Florida" and Mr. Eaton's list of 

 Florida Pteridophytes. Mr. Curtiss has to his credit the dis- 

 covery of many of the Florida ferns known to collectors, but in 

 his fern flora, written before Mr. Eaton's trip was made, ex- 

 pressed the opinion that there were other species yet to be re- 

 ported. Mr. Eaton's trip resulted in the discovery of nearly a 

 dozen more; but we feel perfectly safe in prophesying that still 

 others will be found. The announcement that any West Indian 

 fern had been found in Southern Florida would not surprise us. 

 Within 200 miles of Florida and nearly in the same latitude are 

 more than five hundred species of ferns. Spores of many of 

 these must constantly rain down upon our southern boundaries. 

 The wonder is that more species are not found. Mr. Eaton 

 purposes to return to Florida in a few weeks, when we expect to 

 hear of still further additions to the fern flora. In order to have 

 the Florida fern flora up-to-date, we have inserted Mr. Eaton's 

 finds in Mr. Curtiss' list in this issue. 



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With the publication of the article on Bquisctum in this num- 

 ber, the series of articles on "The Genus Equisetum in North 

 America" comes to an end. It is safe to say that in the prepa- 

 ration of these articles the material has received a more careful 

 examination than it is likely to get in a long time. The sets of 

 specimens illustrating the text are therefore possessed of unusual 

 value. One of the most interesting facts developed as this series 

 progressed is that few hard and fast lines for limiting the species 

 can be drawn. It is easy enough to identify typical plants, but 

 most species include forms that might be named as varieties of 

 some other species without violation of the proprieties. This 

 ought to have a very important bearing upon the question of the 

 origin of species. 



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Last October we gave notice that our series of portraits of 

 fern students would be discontinued for a while to make room for 

 other matter, bait it has since seemed advisable to add to the 

 series the portraits of Miss Sadie F. Price and Mr. Raynal 



