REVIEW.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2145, 18 November 1875, Page 3

REVIEW.

Fjgkks which grow in New Zealand and Adjacent Islands plainly dcsCBIBED.

Such is the title of a little work on ferns by H. E. S. L., a young lady of Auckland, who in this, we believe, makes her first attempt at authorship. The authoress in the introduction alludes to the difficulties which others no doubt as well as herself have felt of learning anything'about New Zealand ferns. We say difficulty, for except to the scientific botanist, Dr. Hooker's "Handbook," is not very intelligible. This book, however, with Figuier's "Vegetable World," and such other information as she was able to collect from Transactions of the New Zealand Institute &c, were the sources from whence, as she acknowledges, she derived the greater part of her information. After a few brief remarks on ferns, answering such imaginary questions

as "Where do they grow ? " '"■ Of what use are they?" &c, the authoress proceeds to notice all the different ferns *^|nich New Zealand produces. To do this Bhe first of all divides them into eight tribes, the largest of these, of course, being the Polypodiacese, which she marks as Tribe IV., and these tribes she again subdivides into genera, species, and, where they admit of it, varieties. Thus Tribe I. is given in thi3 way—Genus, Gleichenia, which admits of.five species, Cincinata, Dicarpa, Cunnirighamii, Flabellata, Die- " hotoma ; one species of which (Dicarpa),has the variety B, Alpina. Under the heading ".Tribe," the.-; writer points out j what is the general.diagnosis of the parti- 1 cular tribe. Then again the marks which characterise the genus; and then the peculiarities of each species of that genus which separate one from the other. Of course the varieties are-defined in the same way. So that all the lover of ferns in search of information has to do is to judge by reference to the book from the general appearance of the fern to which tribe it belongs ; then to note the leading, characteristics which mark its genus; and then to identify,it by the peculiar points which determine the species, going., more particularly into them if that species admits' of a variety. The work is very simple, and the most superficial botanist could easily avail him-" self of the knowledge it contains; for though the authoress has necessarily been obliged to use some scientific terms in her descriptions, yet a glossary of 4| pages enables the most inexperienced to ascertain what these terms mean. The whole pamphlet is neat, unpretentious, and sensible; and will, we venture to predict, be found very .useful. We may also state that besides describing the ferns, the places where the particular sp.ecies are usually found are clearly pointed out.