24 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



Grenada. Several of the islands are remarkably rich in 

 ferns, notably Jamaica, where, including lycopods and 

 other vascular cryptogams, there are probably not fewer 

 than 500 species. A descriptive account of them is ap- 

 pearing (2) by driblets, and at the present rate will not be 

 completed for some time. 



Under the direction of the Committee named above, 

 Mr. Sherring botanised the relatively small island of 

 Grenada during the winter of 1890-91, and devoted him- 

 self specially to the fern vegetation. He succeeded in 

 collecting 145 species, an account of which is given (3) 

 by Mr. J. G. Baker. From this we learn that only 

 two species were new, namely, Alsophila Ellioltii, a tree 

 fern, and Acrostichum Sherringii. Hypodcrris Browjiii 

 was known before only from Trinidad, and Schizcea flum- 

 inensis and Acrostichum Aubertii had previously been 

 collected only in Continental America. A few other very- 

 rare species were included in the collection ; but most of 

 the species are generally diffused in the West Indies. The 

 ferns of Grenada are largely concentrated in the luxuriant 

 forests immediately surrounding the Grand Etang, situated at 

 an elevation of 1740 feet above sea-level. Here about sixty 

 species were observed in a single day. In addition to ferns 

 Mr. Sherring collected about 160 species of flowering plants 

 (4), but as they have not been specially worked out, we 

 may pass on to St. Vincent. 



This island was very thoroughly botanised by Mr. 

 Herbert Smith, Mr. Godman's collector, and the plants 

 worked out at Kew (5) in relation to their distribution. 

 I propose drawing freely on this report, in illustration 

 of the botanical geography of the West Indies, because 

 I had something to do with its compilation. St. 

 Vincent lies between Grenada and Santa Lucia ; is about 

 eighteen miles long by eleven broad, or half the area of 

 Middlesex ; and has a central densely wooded mountain 

 ridge varying from 2000 to 4000 feet in height. Less than 

 one-sixth is under permanent cultivation, and much of the 

 forest is virgin. The smaller islands included in the 

 enumeration referred to are : Bequia, Cannouan, Mustique 



