10 MR. BUNBURY ON THE BOTANY OF MADEIRA. 



and the moist and mossy walls. Even in the villages they abound. 

 The beautiful Hare's-foot Fern, Davallia Canariensis, and the 

 JPolypodium vulgare, appeared to me the most generally common 

 ferns throughout the island ; they are frequent even in the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of Funchal ; and on the northern side of the 

 island, there is hardly a damp wall or an old mossy tree on which 

 they do not flourish. Near the mouth of the S. Vicente river I 

 saw them growing (in a stunted condition certainly) among the 

 loose stones of the actual sea-beach. It is on old trees in the 

 mountain woods of Serra d'Agoa and Ribeiro Frio that they are 

 most luxuriant and beautiful ; and there they ascend to an eleva- 

 tion of at least 3000 feet above the sea-level. 



I will here bring together the rest of the observations I made 

 on the Ferns of Madeira. 



Nothochlcena lanuginosa, R. Br. In the crevices of old walls 

 here and there in the city of Funchal. 



Gymnogramme Lowei, Hooker. On wet rocks near the water- 

 fall of Santa Luzia, elev. about 2600 feet. On the margin of a 

 small stream on the Arrebentao, a little below the summit, the 

 elevation of which is 3844 feet * ; also at Ribeiro Frio. Its re- 

 semblance at first sight to Neplirodium molle is very striking. 



Gymnogramme leptophylla, Desvx. In the crevices of walls near 

 the church of S. Antonio, on the south side of the island ; but the 

 young plants (for it appears to be an annual fern) were only be- 

 ginning to appear before I left Madeira. 



Acrostichum squamosum, Swartz ? (A. paleaceum, Hook, and 

 Grev.). Ribeiro Frio, very sparingly, at the roots of decayed 

 trees, by the levada or aqueduct. 



Lomaria Spicant, Desv. Common in the mountain woods on 

 both sides of the island, also on shady banks in lanes ; more com- 

 mon, and descending to a lower level, on the north side. 



Woodwardia radicans, Sm. In great plenty on the plateau of 

 Santa Anna, about 1000 feet (more or less) above the sea, on 

 shady hedge-banks and the margins of streams; this was the 

 lowest level at which I saw it. Very fine at Ribeiro Frio (elev. 

 about 3000 feet) and in the Metade Valley. On the south side : 

 on the margins of streams descending from the Arrebentao ; in 

 the Little Curral, below the mill ; and in great beauty about the 

 Santa Luzia waterfall. It is certainly one of the handsomest of 

 ferns. It is very remarkable, that, among the impressions in the 

 bed of fossil leaves discovered by Sir C. Lyell in the ravine of 

 * Captain Vidal's Map. 



