INTRODUCTORY EDITORIAL NOTE I LOOK upon this little volume as a distinct acquisition to the Peeps at Nature Series, and I am confident that it will receive a kindly reception on the part of those who desire a well-illustrated, reliable, and at the same time inexpensive, book on ferns and their allies. The author has packed a great deal of information in a small space he has dealt with a difficult subject in a simple way. As a practical field botanist and close observer, he is well acquainted with the difficulties of identification, and the following chapters are the result of experience. The book will be valued by the general Nature student as well as the young beginner. The author has dealt with all ferns and their allies regarded by Sir J. D. Hooker as definite British species, with two exceptions i A Fern, Gymnogramme leptophylla and 2 a Quillwort, Isoetes Hystrix. These two plants are British only in a political sense, being restricted to the Channel Islands. 862217 CHARLES A. HALL. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTORY EDITORIAL NOTE V I. PAST HISTORY , I II. FERNS HABITATS, LIFE-STORY, AND MORPHOLOGY . 7 III. FERNS OF THE WAYSIDE AND SEASIDE ROCKS AND WALLS . . ...... .20 IV. FERNS OF THE BOGS AND MARSHES . . . 33 V. FERNS OF THE WOODS...... 40 VI. FERNS OF THE MOORS AND MOUNTAINS . . -52 r VII. CLUBMOSSES AND THEIR RELATIVES. . . VIII. HORSETAILS . . . ... . . 64 74 INDEX... 86 PLATE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS I. WALL RUE FORKED SPLEENWORT ALTERNATE- LEAVED SPLEENWORT .... Frontispiece FACING PAGE 2 FOSSIL FERN FROND MAIDENHAIR SPLEENWORT . I 3. GROUP OF MALE FERNS 4. ROYAL FERN 8 ... . . . I J 5. BEECH, OAK, AND COMMON POLYPODY FERNS . 24 6. MALE FERN IN EARLY STAGE OF GROWTH . . 2J 7. FRONDS OF BRACKEN UNFOLDING . . . . 30 8. LADY FERN . . 33 9. ADDERS TONGUE AND MOONWORT FERNS . . 40 10. FIR CLUBMOSS COMMON CLUBMOSS . . . -51 1 1 . FERTILE STEMS OF FIELD HORSETAIL SMOOTH NAKED HORSETAIL . 54 12. COMMON BRACKEN ...... 57 13. HARD FERN . 64 14. BARREN STEMS OF FIELD HORSETAIL . . -73 BARREN AND FERTILE STEMS OF WOOD HORSETAIL . 80 15. 16. HARTS TONGUE FERN. .... On the cover ALSO 4 LINE DRAWINGS IN THE TEXT. These illustrations are in colour the remainder are in black and white from photographs. a i PLATE 2 i Fossil Fern Frond. From Scotts Structural Botany 2 Maidenhair Spleenwort Fern BRITISH FERNS, CLUBMOSSES, AND HORSETAILS CHAPTER I PAST HISTORY Here about the beach I wandered, nourishing a youth sublime With the fairy tales of science and the long result ofTime. TENNYSON... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.