slopes and in the xerophilous leguminous trees in the dry regions 

 along the south coast of Jamaica. The tender Pilea radicans 

 covers the limbs of the shrubs to a height of 20 feet. Trichovia- 

 nes pyxidifennn and T. vniscoides clothe the lower portions of 

 many trunks and Polypodiiini pliyllitidis and P. serpens climb over 

 the higher parts. 



The terrestrial herbaceous vegetation is extremely rich in spite 

 of the density of the shade. It is made up chiefly of ferns, yet 

 one will not fail to find many species of Pilea and Peperomia and 

 several orchids ; among the last, two forms with leaves possessing 

 velvet surfaces, a characteristic developed only in the foliage of 

 the most moist regions of the globe. Another feature which 

 marks regions of high humidity is the occurrence of epiphyllous 

 growth, and here it could not fail to arrest the attention of the 

 most casual observer. Scarcely a leaf of the undergrowth is 

 without a colony of hepatics and some large fronds of Danaea and 

 Acrostichwn are so completely covered as to leave no room for the 

 lodging of another gemma. Among the interesting ferns which 

 may be gathered here are Vittaria lineata, V. reinota, Aspidimn 

 Fadyenii, Danaea jamaicensis, Davallia cicutarioides, Gymnopteris 

 aliena and RJiipidopteris peltata. The last-named of these re- 

 sembles Lycopodmni coniplanatnvi more closely than it does any 

 other fern. Many boulders in the river are covered by unbroken 

 masses of it, with here and there a fertile frond — simple, reni- 

 form, and on its dorsal surface completely covered by the black 

 sporangia. Hanging from the trees, and rather rare, is the long 

 flaccid Lycopodiiini taxifoliiini, and the still more rare Psilotnm 

 coniplanatnvi has been found near by. Among the epiphytic 

 orchids may be found Liparis elata — which grows as often upon 

 the ground — Masdevallia fenestrata, Epidendrum fragrans — not 

 common in this part of Jamaica — Epidendrum bletioides, Coni- 

 parettia falcata and the tiny Plcnrothallis tribuloides. The com- 

 moner Epidendrum polyhulbon climbs over the limbs of trees in 

 company with Peperomia cordifolia, the older leaves of which 

 have a thick mass of water-storing tissue above the chlorenchyma. 



Time does not suffice to make a very thorough search of the 

 locality — the ascent must be begun in order to reach home by 



