INTRODUCTION. 182" 
ininviting of all conceivable objects, a railway cutting 
brough a sandstone or limestone district, becomes 
tiful when time has clothed it, which it inevitably 
do, with mosses, lichens and ferns; and what at 
Seems unaccountable, hundreds of species of 
Be eamous plants not known to exist in the neigh- 
any one who can afford to Spare time and money _ 
r the undertaking make a like cutting in his 
arden: it need not be straight like a railway cutting, 
ides will afford the most congenial habitat for all 
ds of cryptogamic vegetation. Our British Fern: 
grow vigorously in such a cutting, withou 
‘or protection of any kind, and a number 
will there survive the inclemency of 
Winter ; but let us go a step fart 
this under-ground fernery ‘wi 
us introduce an iron pipe smoughise ts lengt 
