i i i'
i '
C O N C L U S I O N .
I t is necessary to say a few words to th e subscribers in
concluding a work ex ten d in g over a n umber of volumes, as,
in course of progress, plans become somewhat changed, and
alterations take place th a t were n o t th o u g h t of at th e commencement
of th e work. I t was in ten d ed to pub lish a large
Glossary at th e conclusion, b u t th e A d d en d a to th e different
volumes has ex ten d ed th e work beyond th e presc rib ed limits,
and it was th o u g h t desirable th a t th e Glossary should give
place to the Addenda.
I n conclusion, I must offer my most h e a rty th an k s to those
gentlemen who have so k in d ly afforded me assistance in the
p re sen t u n d e rtak in g , bo th b y supplying me with plants and
fronds, and also with works and information on the subject,
and in doing so I must more especially mention th e great
obligations I am und e r to Sir W . J . H o o k e r; Mr. Thomas
Moore, o f the Botanic Gardens, Chelsea; Mr. Jo sep h H en d e rso n ,
of W e n tw o rth ; M r. J . Smith, the C u ra to r of th e Iloyal Gardens,
K ew ; M r. Moore, of the Glasnevin G a rd en s; Professor Balfour,
of E d in b u rg h ; M r. N o rm an , of H u ll; Mr. Clarke, of the
Glasgow G a rd en s; ]Mr. Ve itch , J u n ., of Chelsea; Mr. Sim, of
F o o t’s C ray ; Mr. Rollisson, of T oo tin g ; and Mr. E . Cooling, of
D e rb y . T h e re are many more to whom my th anks ou g h t to
be given, and although not mentioning them personally, to
each and all who have ren d e red me assistance I beg to re tu rn
my grate fu l thanks.
T h e difficulty in d e termining imporfcctly-known species, (especially
where th e au th o r has n o t the advantage of refe rence
to th e specimens of th e different an thoritics,) is v e ry g re a t;
botanists must therefore welcome as a g re a t boon the valuable
works now p u b lish in g on th e subject, namely, “ T h e Species
F ilicum ” of Sir W . J . H o o k e r, and tho “ In d e x F ilicum ” of
Mr. Thomas Moore. These works, as far as th ey have already
progressed, have been almost universally adopted, and for this
reason th e A d d en d a has become la rg e r th an it otherwise would
have been.
Since the commencement of tho work a v a rie ty of New
F e rn s have been in tro d u c ed into cultivation in this co u n try ,
and these have now been described and figured in an addenda
to tb e p re sen t work, en titled “ A N a tu ra l H is to ry of N ew
and R a re F e rn s .”
T h e au th o r’s endeavour, in p u blishing a w o rk on F e rn s , has
b een to describe as fiiithfully as he was able, the different
F e rn s cultivated in th e gardens, greenhouses, and stoves, of
G re a t B rita in , and to give this information with coloured
illustrations in a v ery cheap form (considering the expense of
th e plates) to th e p ublic, leaving th e deep stu d y of th e subject
to the valuable works, already quoted , of Sir W . J . H o o k e r
an d M r. Moore.
VOL, YIII. 2K