Introduction \ 
xv 
species, of which only thirty-two are peculiar ; while in temperate South Africa we have 
a hundred and fifty-three species, twenty-one of which are known only from Cape Colony. 
Temperate North America has only a hundred and fourteen species, thirty-seven of which 
are confined to that region ; while, on the other hand, in temperate Asia, where the fern- 
flora of the temperate regions attains its maximum, we have “ four hundred and thirteen 
species, eighteen per cent, of the total number, more than half the whole number of species 
that grow anywhere in temperate regions, twice as many as grow in any other temperate 
district, more than five times as many as we possess in Europe, and of these, one out of 
between every three and four is peculiar to it,” these being for the most part concentrated 
in Japan, East China, and the Himalayas. 
The accompanying table, which we have adapted from Mrs. Lyell’s “ Geographical 
Handbook of all known Ferns,” may be found useful as showing at a glance the distribution 
throughout the world of the European species. The division to which the figures correspond are 
as follow : — 
I. — Europe and North Africa. 
1. Europe proper. 
2. Algeria, Madeira, Canaries, Azores. 
II.— Asia. 
3. Northern, Central, and Western Asia, China, and Japan. 
4. Northern India, including Assam, and all north of the Deccan. 
5. Southern India, including Concan, Deccan, Orissa, Ceylon. 
6 . Eastern Peninsula and Archipelago, Philippine Isles. 
III.— Australia and Polynesia. 
7. Tropical Australia, New Guinea, Caroline and Solomon Isles, New Hebrides, 
New Caledonia. 
8. Temperate Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Auckland Isles, etc. 
9. Polynesia, Friendly, Society, Sandwich, Marquesas Isles, etc. 
IV. — Africa. 
10. Tropical Africa and Islands. 
11. Cape Colony and Natal, Tristan d’Acunha. 
V. — North America. 
12. Sub-arctic Greenland, Canada, and westerly to the Rocky Mountains. 
13. United States, Bermuda. 
14. California and New Mexico, British Columbia, covering the slope from the Rocky 
Mountains to the Pacific. 
VI. — South America. 
15. Mexico, Panama, West India Islands. 
16. Venezuela, New Granada, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Galapagos Isles. 
17. Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay. 
18. Chili, La Plata, Patagonia, Falkland Isles, Juan Fernandez. 
