The Express.
London, England, 1857-02-14 00:00:00

NATURE-PRINTING,

The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland, Nature-
Printed by Henry Bradbury. By TIIONAS
MOORE, F.L.S. Edited by JOHN LINDLET, l'h.D.
Imp. Folio. Bradbury and Brand, Lou-

don, 1855. -
The majority of the earliest specimens of Natures
botanical productions were Ferns. In the Fossil
Botany which the hand of science has uncovered to
us, about seven hundred species of these plants have
been identified: and these formed, perhaps, two-
thirds at least of the plants which once adorned the
earth's surface. Whole beds of coal were probably
formed by the deposits of the species which are con-
tinually discovered, almost perfect, in the coal-mines.
The coal fields of most countries show a curious uni-
formity in this respect. Peculiar circumstances of
geograpFcal position and climate, in the long pre-
historic period, may account for the great proportion
in which the Ferns appear to the other botanical
productions of this epoch. We know that mo:sture,
equable temperature, and island position, foster their
growth ; that in districts and countries where fog
and damp prevail—and more especially where heat
and damp combine—they flourish ; moisture is essen-
tial to their luxuriance. In the western counties of
England, the damp fells of Inland, and in the high
lands of our empire, where frequent mists yield them
the required nourishment, they thrive in the greatest
variety and proportion; and these- general features
were doubtless most prominent in that period when
the vast coal formations were accumulating, and
scaling within themselves for our information the
records of their source. The Ferns of this epoch,
however, though bearing many familiar features, arc
not identical with the present race, but ex.tinet. Nor
is beauty the only claim which this race of plants
has upon our interest, for it is not without its
many practical uses to the farmer and peasant. The
natives of Australia and New Zealand when first
Europeans landed on their shores. made the roots of
Ferns a considerable item of their food; so 0.60 in
Ladle to this day, parts of the plant are made a fre-
quent accompaniment of the native diet. The stu-
dent of Shakspere and his times willeall to mind the
curious superstition that Fern seed had the power of
making its bearer invisible. This probably arose
from the idea that no see (la were borne on the plant,
or so rarely as to invest them with a fabulous nature.
Popular ignorance alone overlooked their existent*.
Though excessively minute, and only appearing as
dust on a sheet of paper, they are there. At a later
period, when one of our kings made a royal p
a local proclamation was issued, that no Fern should
be burnt in the district by the peasantry-, since it
was believed that the smoke arising inevitably
caused rain, which would not respect the views of
his Majeaty.
The hand of man, however beautiful may be the
effects obtained by the careful artistic copyist, is not
capable of that lied and truthful exactitude which
is obtained by the beautiful means used to illustrate
the work betore us. Nature-Printing, as its name
aptly implies, is a real point of contact between
Nature and Art. A short history and description of
the process will illustrate the observation, and point
out the achievement which has been realised by the
patient and intelligent efforts of many—for to ro one
person can the invention of Nature-Printing be
assigned. It is probable that very many realisations
which are attributed to the invention of an indivi-
dual, are like this the growth of many minds,
cumulating with the advance of knowledge ar.d amid
fostering circumstance..
In 1572 was the first recorded effort made to con-
stitute Nature herself a copyist. The process adopted
at this period consisted iv holding the dried :cat of a
plant over the smoke of a candle or oil lamp till it
became blackened all over one side, when by being
equally, spin dean, popsy an impression of
pressed
most prominent veins and marking of the speci-
men was obtained. This laborious process was subse-
quently extensively applied, and, in one instance, a
work was produced containing twelve hundred illus-
trations punted by the these means. Even these
productions, necessarily rude, were esteemed, for
botanical purposes, more than the uncertain endea-
vours of manual art. It was about the year 1835
that the first approach was made, thouggh a distant
one, to the presentnuocess. Peter Kyhl, a Danish
goldsmith of Cope n, made use of copies taken
from flat objects of Nature and Art, by impressing
them between steel rollers into plates of metal, for
the ornamention of articles of silver ware. The first
advance from a simple contrivance to an art was
mrde, and scientific experience 'has since developed
and amplified the first effort. It dots not appear
• hether the application of the process to printing
formed part of Peter Kyhl's views. He died during
the year in which he made his experiments known,
and for awhile no advance FOB made from the point
at which his endeavours clewed. About ten years
since several experiments, which advanced the pro-
ems nearer to its present state, were made in Eng-
land. It was necessary, after having impressed the
object into metal soft enough toyield a fine impression,
that the plate should be converted into a material
bard enough to print from. This was accomplished
by means of the -Electrotype, and the problem was
practically solved. The great influence and re-
sources of the noble Imperial Printing Office at
Vienna first produced Nature-Printing in its present
form. It was introduced by Mr. Henry Bradbury
into this country in lea 3, and the present magnifi-
cent volume is its first result here and the second
application of the process to the illustration of a
' book, the first being the Chevalier von Heiffier's
work on Mosses, which was published at Vienna in
1853.
The immense importance of the art as an aid to
betasy cannot be overrated. In the Ferns, for
instance, there are some thousands of species. With
these the minute markings, and their relative po-
sitions, with the veins and other details of form,
eonatitute the evidences of identification. All these
are produced in the work before us with marvellous
accuracy and the surety of truth. With but scat-
tered means within his reach and observation, Mr.
Henry Bradbury has produced a result which is
universally admired. The names of Mr. Thomas
Moore and Dr. Lindley arc sufficient guarantee for
the high character of the literature which accompa-
nies the Nature-printed illustrations of the book. It
is not often that anew process is ushered into notice
with such splendour. We hope that many interest-
ing classes of plants, such as Mosses, Grasses, and
the like, will soon receive due illustration.

MEETINGS or SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIEF.—MOnday
—Chemical, 8, Professors Abel and Blatant "On the Valua-
tion of Nitre ;" Mr. R. Adie"On Thersso-Electric Couples."
Toesday,-Royal Institution, 3—Predawn Huxley "On the
BswofT Patbdagioal, 111—Linasa—Prufesor Owen
will end po on .• wow spin et liapiectolla, from the
Serbia* Mob, sod at Ur Clewed= and Sub-divisions
of the the /14marile." Natlatleal, 8—" On the Duration of
Lids Largo," by Dr, Ong. Arehitoctural Mos.fnu,
es Os Ardelet eiddleted in the Department
eCITIOW /sow 14serisa, jun., Esq., Hon. Sec.
CBrD beams. B—lnewel Disourion upon the Pam-
re WsdandsLondon Institution,
Literates, 44 ; London and Mid-
dling B—et the Gallery of British
=Syl. Middlesex. at the Time of the
inenty. By Edward Griffith, Fan., I.R.S. 2.
Waage is tba City. Ito 1. Bishopagate Ward. By the
Rev. nom Hugo, M.A., F.S.A. 3. Monumental
&MU al London and Middlesex. Part 2. By the Rev.
Clods Destell, M.A. ; Society of Arts, B—Mr. James
N. Header es a New Electric Induction Coil. Thurs.
day—Royal, 84; Royal Society, Club, 8; Royal In-
settnion43—" On Sound," btLr.rofeiesn Tyntallb; y
4".til,i-
Ml4llThliday—lteYy'al Inatitu On lion,l=" 'the
eir Seism to Ornamental Art,- by Christopher
Drum, Req. limesSay—Royal Institution, 3—" On the
Orrl==est at Life on Globe—lnvertehrata," by
; Angie, 2; Medical, 8; Botanic, 4.
RrArinons LIBERTY LIMNER.—Mr. Milner
Meets, Mr. Sir Wm. Clay, and about twenty
other members of t bare, we undoentand, accepted
invitations to the at the London Tavern, next Wed •
needay, with which, as already announced. the voluntary
party intend oorassiarimg their parliamentary campaign fur
the present year.