THE FERN BULLETIN 



31 



somewhere. The Fern Society exists ostensibly to 

 help along the study of ferns, but how the study can be 

 helped much on an income of ten cents a member is a 

 puzzle which we are quite willing to let the officers 

 figure out — it is too much for us. As a matter of fact, 

 the Fern Society has done nothing in the past three or 

 four years to advance the study of ferns or to deserve 

 the support of fern students. There seems to be a lack 

 of any settled policy for advancement and the Society 

 runs along chiefly through the momentum acquired 

 when fern study was younger. Either the "official 

 organ" should get down to business and discuss Ameri- 

 can ferns and other things of interest to American fern 

 students, or it should ask less assistance from the 

 treasury. A Society that exists only to publish an "of- 

 ficial organ" has a serious attack of the dry rot. 



* * * 



So far as known to us, there are but thirty-one com- 

 ple sets of this magazine in existence. One fortu- 

 nate New Yorker has, by the exercise of considerable 

 correspondence, accumulated two sets and the editor 

 also had two up to the present. One of these latter, 

 however, has now gone abroad and will hereafter be 

 held in Berlin. There is but one other complete set 

 owned on the other side of the world. This is in the 

 possession of M. C. Belhatte of Paris. In the past 

 we have had many orders for full sets from foreign 

 correspondents, but of course have been unable to fill 

 them. The set just disposed of was the one used for 

 'reference in the office of this magazine but which, in 

 view of the approaching consolidation of the maga- 

 zine with American Botanist, was one that could now 

 be spared. It is probably too late now to hope for 

 further complete sets though several readers of this 



