156 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1391. 



particular as to habitat, but in such cases their periods of growth and 

 rest are generally very marked, and their growing period generally 

 limited to the rainy season. 



A few foliage plants are found in the same localities as ferns, but 

 by far the greater nuniber prefer a deeper soil and a warmer and 

 denser atmosphere than that at their disposal in such places. Their 

 favourite resorts are hot moist valleys or plains, overshadowed by 

 tall-growing trees, where the soil is deep and principally composed of 

 mouldering leaves and twigs, where the dense foliage of the trees 

 above does not easily allow the vapours of the fermenting vegetation, 

 abundantly impounded with dioxide of carbon, to escape. These are 

 the haunts of that dreadful foe, the jungle fever, but just when most 

 dangerous, so fascinating and charmingly attractive that it is difficult 

 to resist an attempt of an intimate acquaintance with their charms. I 

 shall never forget the impression the first view of such a place 

 made upon me — everything seemed new, so perfect was the beauty of 

 every part of the living picture before me. There were gigantic leaves, 

 seen before in hothouses, flowers known from pictures, plants described 

 in books, but all so infinitely surpassing all previous ideas of tropical 

 luxuriance, every detail so much grander, so fascinating and inde- 

 scribable that I was entirely lost in admiration, and for the first time 

 understood the wonderful effect of a truly tropical vegetation, a fact 

 which until then I had seriously commenced to ascribe to the imagi- 

 nation of such travellers in whose books the howling and roaring of 

 wild animals and the hissing of poisonous snakes are the principal 

 features. Nature has also here, in these dens of fever and malaria, 

 put up her warning sign-posts, in the shape of quaint, but often 

 gigantic and beautiful flowers, exhaling a most repulsive odour. 

 Everybody liable to be attacked by fever, will be wise to take heed of 

 this gratuitous but sound advice, and leave the exploration of this kind 

 of jungle to the dry season, when, however, much of its charm is gone. 

 In such places many highly ornamental foliage plants have their home, 

 while also a few palms and certain kinds of ferns seem to prefer such 

 a locality, where the prevailing conditions are heat and moisture, 

 dense shade, and a rich soil. 



It is rather more difficult to refer orchids to specially charac- 

 teristic localities, their variety is so gj'eat, their habits so different, 



