163 
by the fertility of the air’ is of course unintelligible; but a 
glance at the epiphytic flora and jagged rock of the surface of 
the ridge at once brings out the force of Dr. Perrine’s statement. 
In the case of most of the hammocks the epiphytic flora reaches 
a considerable or even an excessive development. It consists 
chiefly of a of the fern-plants, bromeliads and or- 
chids. About 30 per cent. of the 28 species of fern-plants now 
known to occur in that region inhabit trees, all the 13 species of 
bromeliads are epiphytic and nearly 50 per cent. of the 30 spe- 
cies of orchids are tree-inhabiting. We encountered one ham- 
mock of about an acre in extent that is actually being destroyed 
occur in this formation, or less than one half as many as in either the pinelands or in 
he hammocks 
by the excessive development of the epiphytes. ‘The hammock 
has the appearance of being choked. The plants of the epi- 
phytic bromeliads and orchids, having taken possession of every 
available bit of surface of trunks and branches of the larger 
trees, have prepared the way for the ready development of wood- 
