SECTION II. 
FERN GROUPS. 
' I ''HERE is relationship in the fern-world ; 
and although we do not propose strictly 
to adopt the distinctions made by botanists, we 
shall observe a certain order in arranging our 
favourites. Hitherto we have described those 
ferns which live, so to speak, in a sort of isola- 
tion. Of the ten first described, each one stands 
alone, and is, so far as Britain is concerned, the 
only species of its genus. In treating of these, 
we have not thought it necessary to place them 
according to any particular method of arrange- 
ment. There is a certain relationship existing 
between the Moonwort and the Adders-tongue, 
and there is even a closer affinity between the 
two species of the last-named fern ; but we 
have not considered it necessary to place these 
