THE HERBARIUM. 
4i 
Ferns and mosses have been found in great abund¬ 
ance in coal, carboniferous limestone, and other geo¬ 
logical formations, but rarely in fruit. The species are 
apparently very numerous, but it is thought by Dr. 
Hooker that many of them were arboreous; in fact, 
similar in form to the tree-ferns of tropical countries. 
A well-prepared collection of dried ferns, apart from 
its botanical use, forms an interesting series of objects 
of beauty even to the casual observer. In collecting 
ferns for this herbarium, care must be taken that the 
crown and root are secured as well as the fronds, even 
if these have no fruit (sort) on them ; they must not 
on that account be passed, as the fronds that are not 
fertile often have a specific character which mark the 
genera, species, or variety. 
As most of our readers must be aware, plants are 
prepared for the herbarium by being laid between 
sheets of blotting-paper and placed under pressure. 
Blotting-paper is an excellent material, but according 
to my own experience, old newspapers—not the Times — 
are nearly, if not quite, as good, and also much cheaper. 
A quicker method is to place the frond between news- 
