filSTORY OF INTRODUCTIOH OF EXOTIC FERNS. 17 



speculation, and who was the first to introduce the 

 beautiful Veronica speciosa. Others have also been 

 sent from New Zealand by the Rev. William Colenso, 

 and by the late Dr. Sinclair, R.N., the beautiful little 

 Trichomcmes reniforme being one of those due to the 

 latter gentleman. 



Turning next to the "West Indies, we commence 

 with the island of Jamaica, whence more Ferns have 

 been received at Kew than from any other part of 

 the Western hemisphere. The person to whose 

 energy and perseverance this is mainly due is Mr. 

 Nathaniel Wilson, the Island botanist and Director 

 of the Botanic Garden. He has been a resident 

 in the island for upwards of twenty years, and 

 during that time has thoroughly explored the Blue 

 Mountains and other districts rich in Ferns, liberally 

 forwarding to Kew the results of his numerous 

 journeys. Among his earliest contributions was the 

 beautiful Tree-fern, Cyathea arborea, which, though 

 recorded in the " Hortus Kewensis " as having been 

 brought home by Admiral Bligh in 1793, had long 

 been lost to our gardens. Within the last few years 

 he has succeeded, after many failures, in transmitting 

 numerous species of Trichomcmes and Hymenophyllum, 

 which now form so conspicuous a feature in the 

 present rich collection. The other contributors from 

 the same island are, in 1851, Mr. George Manson, 

 and in 1854 and following years, W. T. March, Esq., 

 the latter gentleman sending several arborescent 

 species as well as Hymenophyllece, and others. 



Numerous fine species, including several. Gyatlieas 

 and Alsophilas, were received in 1855 and 1856 from 

 the French island of Martinique, where they had been 



c 



