THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY 



SEPTEMBER, 1838. 



Art. I. Some Observations on a Collection of Ferns from the Island 

 of Jamaica. By Robert Heward, Esq., F.L.S. 



In submitting the accompanying remarks, my principal ob- 

 ject has been to point out the great facilities which exist for 

 extending our knowledge of the almost boundless stores of 

 vegetation, at present but imperfectly known, — and also the 

 opportunities for increasing our botanical collections from a 

 part of the world, which, although it has been nearly two 

 hundred years under the dominion of Great Britain, still 

 contains many botanical rarities which seldom reach this 

 country. 



The West India islands, although within a month or six 

 weeks' sail from England, have been less botanically explor- 

 ed than many places at a much greater distance ; while the 

 luxuriance of their vegetation, and the ready communication 

 with this country, ought to put us in possession of many 

 plants, as yet known only through the works of Sloane, Plu- 

 mier, P. Browne, and Swartz * 



My very limited knowledge and equally limited opportuni- 

 ties afforded me but few chances of collecting specimens ; yet 



* Since the above was written I have seen the first part of the ' Flora of 

 Jamaica ' by Dr. MacFadyen, which appears to he a most excellent work, 

 and from that gentleman's long; residence in that island cannot fail to he 

 interesting- to the botanical world. 



Vol. II.— No. 21. n. s. u u 



