J. SMITH ON THE GENERA OF FERNS. 147 



was with this impression that, at the request of Mr Higson 

 and other members, I drew up the present account, (with 

 the exception of the last two or three pages,) and lead it be- 

 fore the Jamaica Society in 1829 ; but it was not then printed, 

 and I had no wish to anticipate or to compete with a bota- 

 nist, whose scientific attainments, and personal qualities I ap- 

 preciated highly. Afterwards, however, I learnt with ex- 

 treme regret, that he had embarked at Havre for Chili in 

 1828, with the intention of exploring the vegetable produc- 

 tions of that part of the world, and that he had there lost his 

 life ; and this intelligence I do not find to have ever been 

 contradicted during the seven or eight years that have since 

 elapsed. If therefore, under these circumstances, I now at 

 length submit to the public the information which I have 

 been able to collect concerning a plant that cannot but in- 

 terest the curiosity of botanists, I trust that, instead of seek- 

 ing to diminish or suppress the merits of Dr Bertero, in 

 regard to this plant, I shall rather be considered as fulfilling 

 the strong desire which he once felt, that the characters of 

 the true Hog-Gwn tree should be fully made known. 



E. N. Bancroft. 

 Kingston, Jamaica, 

 mth June, 1837. 



IX. — An arrangement and definition of the Genera of Ferns, 

 with observatiojis on the affinities of each Genus. By J. 

 Smith, A. L. S. 



( Continued from page 70, of the present Volume.') 



Tribe II. Acrostichie^. 



SoRi not of any defined form, (amorphous,) destitute of a 

 special indusium, the sporangia closely occupying the whole 

 or a portion of the under side (or rarely both sides) of the 

 fertile frond, which are always more or less contracted, form- 

 ing an universal sporangiferous receptacle ; the margin often 

 membraneous and indusiiform. 



