198 
On this day I received my first real lessons in two directions 
—in tropical vegetation and in tropical meteorology. he 
climb was a steep one, first through high forest with an abundant 
ground and epiphytic vegetation. Here, for the first time, I saw 
the wonderful “blue fern,” a coarse but peculiarly colored “filmy” 
fern eight to twelve inches high. This species grows on the 
ground in dark, moist situations, and is perhaps the most strik- 
ing single plant J have seen in Dominica. The color is an 
opaque, dark blue-green, suggestive of certain copper com- 
pounds, which, however, is seen only by reflected light. With 
transmitted light one sees but a rich, dark chlorophyl green. 
When the plant is dried the blue is lost, and is replaced by a 
dirty green. 
On the higher steeps one climbs on a slippery clay, densely 
set with tree ferns, and a various shrubby and herbaceous vege- 
tation which, on a rainy day, offers a redundancy of proof 
that there are many adaptations in tropical plants for holding 
water. It is here in the cool cloud-swept region that one finds, 
in greatest abundance, the beautiful filmy ferns growing in almost 
every situation. The most abundant tree fern of this locality is 
known locally as ‘‘fougere piquant,” so called on account of its 
armature of sharp black prickles. These are, on older plants, 
usually hidden by a growth of liverworts, mosses, and filmy ferns, 
with the result that one often seizes hold of what appears to be 
a kindly support for the weary climber, with the obvious result. 
On nearing the summit one meets a tangle of shrubbery and 
small trees that form a dense tangle on which one must climb to 
Teach the summit. These mosses, liverworts, filmies and nu- 
merous small epiphytes completely clothe the stems and 
branches of the larger growth. And here, at least in the sum- 
mer season, it rains almost continuously. 
On July 2 we returned to Roseau to meet Sir Daniel Morris, 
who made a brief visit to the island on that day. On the day fol- 
lowing, I called on His Honor Mr. H. Hesketh Bell, the Adminis- 
trator of Dominica, who very kindly gave me further suggestions 
for the survey of the island. On this occasion Mr. Bell offered to 
add to the collections of the New York Botanical Garden a col- 
