22 THE FOREST 



especially in the cool forests, where its massive 

 fronds grow to more than 5 yards in length and 3 in 

 breadth, with a spread over all, measuring from tip 

 to tip of opposite fronds, of 8 yards. One hand- 

 some climbing fern clothes the trunks of tall trees ; 

 another which climbs on grasses and the smaller 

 shrubs is common ; and another forms almost im- 

 penetrable thickets 15 or 20 feet high. Of the 

 kinds which grow on rocks and trees the most 

 delicately beautiful are the filmy ferns, of which 

 there are eight kinds. The Irish filmy is the largest, 

 covering the face of large rocks under dense shade, 

 its fronds growing to over a foot in length. Many 

 polypodiums and aspleniums grow gracefully on the 

 rocks and trees during the rainy season. One 

 especially elegant polypodium growing on the 

 ground has fronds about 6 or 7 feet long, and some- 

 times as much as 20 feet, and of proportionate 

 width. Another conspicuous fern is the bird's-nest 

 fern with its large, massive fronds growing under 

 shade on rocks and stems of trees. 



Unless we are fern experts it is impossible for us 

 to identify each among so many species. But, at 

 any rate, we gather an impression of elegance and 

 grace, often of airy lightness, and of wonderful 

 variety of size and form. 



From the ferns we look to the rest of the forest, 

 and after the first bewilderment at the profusion 

 and variety of vegetation we try to fasten on to a 

 few individuals or types which we can identify as 

 having seen elsewhere in some other part of India 

 or in some palm-house in England. We are in the 



