124 JOURNAL., BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. Xlt 



number of species of ferns found westward of Nepal, and have 



found species whicK are absolutely new." 

 The above-quoted description was written in India for my paper on the 

 " Ferns of the Chitral Relief Expedition," which was published m The Journal 

 of £otan7j in Uaroh 1896. Smce coming from India I have verified my 

 surmise that specimens would be found in herbaria mixed with A. nigripes : 

 those so found, and with other species also, in the Kew Herbarium, have now 

 been separated. Earliest in date of collection is a sheet from Kashmir, Winter- 

 bottom No. 349, 5tb June 1847 ; and next comes one with a ticket — " Ind. Or., 

 Hook, fil and Thomson, Coll. T. T. 28th August 1849, " which has been 

 marked by Mr. Clarke Aspl. nigripes Mett. Sir W". J, Hooker had pencilled on 

 the sheet—" V. A. decipiens, Mett. Aspl., p. 195, t. 6, figs. 9 and 10, quite 

 accords." These fignires are like bits of my fern. There is another specimen 

 of Dr. Thomson's, dated 2nd June 1848, and one — " Kashmir, W. S. Atkinson, 

 September 1874, com. C. B. C. No. 24177." In the British Museum Herba- 

 rium, among A. umirosum, Sm., and A. anstrak, Brack., is another frond — 

 "Kashmir— Winterbofctom." In Kew I also found two specimens from the Simla 

 Region, of my own collecting in 1886, named by me A. nigripes ; and one 

 from Hattu Mt. 9000', CoUett 1885. In so naming this fern I then followed 

 Blanford, who I believe followed precedent. It is, in greater part at least, 

 hia No. 42 (in List) Asplemum {Athyrium) nigripes Mett., of which he says — 

 " The typical form of this fern is common in the partially shaded banks and 

 hill sides, ou the northern face of Kamalhori and Hatu, at elevations between 

 8000 and 9500 ft., but not nearer Simla. There are rarely more than 2 or 

 3 fronds on the rhizome, and they are firm in texture and, in general, nearly as 

 broad as long." The position and shapes of the sori and involucres, together 

 with the total absence of set(B on the secondary rhachises and costse, are quite 

 sufficient to separate this fern from typical A. nigripes. Other records of this 

 species, which have come to light since I returned to Great Britain are — The 

 Kagan Valley, to the westward of Kashmir, 5000', Duthie's native collector 

 1896, and Chamba 7-8000' (3 sheets), J. Marten 1897, both in the Saha- 

 ranpur collection. 



25. A. Filix-femina Bernh.; Syn. Fil. 192. A. FiKx-femina, 

 Bernh., C. R. 491, var. 1, dentigera only. Athyrium Filix-femina Bedd. H. B . 

 168, and Suppt, H. B. 35, var 1 dentigera Wall. only. Polypodium dentig- 

 erum Wall. Cat. 334. 



Forma tijpica. 

 Afghan : 9-10,000', J. E. T, Aitchisou,,No. 830, 1880. 



Kashmir : Sarpatiy.^OO' McDouell 1891 ; near Gurais and near Gulmarg 8-9000', 

 Duthie 1892. 



