EDITORIAL. 



The first three volumes of this journal were issued 

 BACK by the Fern Chapter for circulation among its 



NUMBERS members, and long ago most of the numbers went 



out of print. The next two volumes are now in 

 the same condition. While we do not attach much importance to 

 these early numbers, issued in what might be called the prothal- 

 lium stage of the Bulletin, we sympathize with those who are 

 trying to complete their files and hope that any of our readers who 

 may have extra copies of the numbers desired will communicate 

 with those who advertise in our want column. These early num- 

 bers will not be reprinted, and stray copies must be looked to for 

 completing files. We would also call attention to the fact that the 

 sixth volume is now nearly out of print. 



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It has been decided to hold the next annual meeting 

 A GREAT of the American Association for the Advancement 



FERN MEETING of Science in New York City. This news comes 



too late to permit of any action being taken by the 

 Fern Chapter before this issue goes to press, but it is certain that 

 so excellent an opportunity for another meeting of fern students 

 will not be allowed to pass. The enthusiastic session at Boston 

 last year, which brought together nearly a hundred persons, 

 showed the value of such meetings. New York has more fern 

 students than Boston and should have a larger meeting, especially 

 as we shall expect every one who attended the Boston meeting to 

 attend this one also. Further particulars will be given in the 

 next issue of this journal. 



* * 



Those who make collections of ferns usually have 

 FERN the single object in view of getting together as 



COLLECTIONS many different species as possible, and when a 



good representative of each is obtained, seldom or 

 never collect more of the same species. But when it is considered 

 that in North America, north of Mexico, there are less than two 

 hundred species of ferns, and that fully one half of these are so 

 rare or so difficult to obtain that none but the most fortunate of 

 collectors can hope to obtain them, the limit of this sort of a col- 

 lection is not difficult to see. As soon as such a collection is 

 practically completed, the interest of the collector wanes for want 

 of new forms to excite it. Three or four years is usually sufficient 



