INTRODUCTION. 
" I cannot but think the very complacency and satisfaction which a man 
takes in the. works of Nature to be a laudable if not virtuous habit of 
mind." — Addison. 
In writing or speaking about any portion of the vast flora of 
Australia, one labours under many disadvantages, unknown to those 
who write about the plants of countries which have been longer 
known. One great drawback is the want of local or native names. 
It may be safely said that no other country is so badly off in this 
respect. In all other parts of the world the botanist can fall back 
on the native name, but in Australia that is quite impossible, the 
character of the natives and the extent of territory entirely pre- 
vent it. 
In the present work great pains and care have been taken to add 
as many local names as possible, but as many of our ferns are as 
yet imperfectly known to the botanist, it cannot be expected that 
such should possess local names, though doubtless as these are 
received from time to time into cultivation, each will receive one. 
In studying these beautiful plants, two courses are open to the 
student ; the one by collecting living plan-ts and cultivating them 
in suitable situations, whereby their habits and developement could 
be more carefully observed : the other by forming what is termed " 
an herbarium of well selected specimens, and it must be borne in 
mind that for this purpose portions of each part of the plant should 
be collected, and should the species produce fronds of various shapes 
each form should be preserved, but most particularly the soriferous 
or fruit bearing fronds. 
It may be well before proceeding to the enumeration of our species, 
to give some few notes on the structure of a fern, to prepare the 
student for that part of the work wherein ferns are described. 
The leaves, or more correctly speaking branches of a fern are 
termed fronds, on some of these will be observed, by paying a little 
attention, dust-like patches which are situated either on the back or 
edge of these fronds, these patches or heaps which are calkd son) 
are sometimes covered by a thin skiuj and congist of numerous one- 
celled bladders. In the largest tribe these bladders are girt 
longitudinally by a jointed ring which at maturity contraetg aud 
thus ruptures the bladder^ aud allows the esoapemont of the contained 
^fO-m which aye individually invisible to the una^sigted eye. 
With the exception of one tribe the leaves (fronds) are, whiles 
young, rolled inwards (circinate) lilce a crosier, 
The roots are all fibrous and usually densely coyered with ppft 
close hairs mostly of a rusty colour. 
