Davenport.] V^^ [Feb. 2, 



Utah— 23, 24, 33, 43, 45, 57, 61, G3, 66, 94, 99, 103, 117, 130, 131. 15* 



Vermont~4, 44, 47, 61, 63, 73, 75, 80, 82, 83, 87, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96,"^ 



97, 100, 102, 104, 105, 110, 111, 112, 113, 115, 118, 122, 123, [ ^ 

 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 133, 135, 142, 143, 144, 145, 148, 149, I 

 150, 151, 152. J 



Virginia, inckuUng W.Va.— 4, 7, 31, 35, 61, 63, 66, 74, 75?, 80, 81, 

 82, 85, 87, 92, 93, 94, 97, 104, 105, 111, 113, 115, 118, 124, 



127, 133, 135, 141, 142?, 144?, 150, 151. I ^• 



Washington Territory— 4, 5, 8, 11, 34, 43, 57, 61, 63, 71, 82, | 21* 



94, 99, 101, 103, 111, 124, 130, 145, 150, 151, 152. [ 1? 



Wisconsin— 4, 31, 33, 44 47, 61, 63, 75, 80, 82, 92, 93, 94, 95, 97. "^ 



100, 104, 105, 110, 111, 113, 115, 118, 122, 123, 124, 125, 127, I 35* 



133, 135, 142, 143, 144, 150, 151. J 



Wyoming Territory— 57, 131, 145, 150. 4* 



Remarks. ISTo positively accurate comparisons can be made from the 

 incomplete data furnished by these partial tables, but so far as now known. 

 New York, Michigan, Florida, Vermont and California, in tlie order 

 named, have the greatest number of species of ferns within their respective 

 limits. 



In the first, second and fourth of these States, the number has, in all 

 probability, reached, or very nearly reached, its maximum, while in the 

 third and fifth it is lilvcly to be largely increased, and those States from 

 their fixvorable situations, climates, and comparatively extensive, unex- 

 plored territory, will, undoubtedly, lead all other States in the future. 

 Arizona and Texas alone being at all likely to compete with them for the 

 highest place. 



If, however, we distribute our ferns according to the number of square 

 miles of territory which each of the five first named States contains, then 

 Vermont will lead the others, her ratio being as 1 fern to every 226| square 

 miles, that for New York as 1 to 814, Michigan 1 to 1191^, Florida, 1 to 

 1289, and California 1 to 4295^ square miles of territory. 



Taking the extremes of the tei'ritorial limits, excluding the District of 

 Columbia, whicli has 1 species to each 2^ miles of territory, Rhode Island 

 gives us 1 species for each 3S|, and Delaware 1 to 75, as compared with 

 Pennsylvania's 1 to 109|, Colorado's 1 to 4200 and Texas 1 to 7S78| square 

 miles. 



If we take an average of the fern flora for the different geographical 

 sections of the United States, on the basis of the present list. New 

 England gives us an average of 40 species for each State, the Middle 

 Atlantic States 40, the South Atlantic 27, the Gulf Slates 23, and the 

 Central States 25, the Pacific States 23, and the Territories an average of 19. 



The returns from most of the Territories are altogether too meagre at 

 present to permit of any comparisons, and those already made will neces- 

 sarily undergo considerable modification as the gaps in tlie lists for other 

 States fill up. 



But while no absolutely reliable comparisons can be made, nor the pre- 



