fronds, vdtli the stem and roots, the fronds being spread out
in an easy and graceful form, and as far as possible kept
quite flat, but not formally 'laid out’ so as to destroy any
pecidiarity of habit winch the species may possess.
If entire tufts cannot be obtained, and single fronds have
to be substituted, they should he taken quite to the base,
and must be removed from the stem with care, so that the
scales, or hairs, or farinose powder, wHch may be present
on the stalk, may be preserved equally with the frond itself.
Of larger growing species, single fronds only are manageable,
and these, when of larger size than the folios in wliich
the specimens are to be kept, must be folded to somewhat
less than the length of the papers, whilst y e t fresh.
Of the gigantic species, portions only of the fronds, corresponding
in size with the paper to he used, can be preserved
; but aU of our native species, except in cases of
extreme luxuriance, may, we heheve, with a httle judgment
in the selection of specimens, be folded so as to allow of
thefr being preserved in ordinary fohos measuring eighteen
inches by twelve inches, or thereabouts.
It is. sometimes recommended to select specimens with the
fructification mature. We should rather, as a general rule,
advise their being gathered before the masses of spores reach
their fuU growth. If, however, more than a single specimen
of each kind is preserved, the perfectly mature and the
incipient states of fructification should also be gathered ;
but in the majority of cases the intermediate state will
afford the best materials for subsequent examination and
recognition.
Of course, when the species produces two or more kinds of
fronds, examples of each must be preserved, as, for instance,
in the Allosorus crispus, the fertile fronds of wliich alone
w'ould convey hut a very indifferent notion of the plant.
The necessity of attending to tliis point is even more strikingly
apparent in such exotic genera as the Struthiopteris,
and almost aU the species related to the Acrostichums.
After being thoroughly dried under pressure, the specimens,
according to their size, should be arranged, singly if
large, or in groups resembhiig the natural tufts if sufficiently
small, on one side only of a series of sheets of stout white
paper, to which they should be fastened by a few thread
ties, or gummed straps, in preference to being pasted down
with glue. The specimens, however, admit of a much more
convenient and searching examination when kept loose in a
folded sheet of paper; but if there should be frequent occasion
to handle such loose specimens, they will be found much