39 



were restricted to that part of Serbia which lies along the 

 valley of the Western Morava, west of Nish. A short 

 time only was spent in the Belgrade district. Serbia is a 

 large country, reaching right up to the Danube in the 

 north, and down into Macedonia to the Greek frontier in 

 the south. Doubtless there are many unfamiliar species in 

 the country, especially in the southern half, but of these 

 I cannot speak. It should be noted, too, that typhus and 

 other epidemics occupied so much of one's time as a Red 

 Cross worker that one must not be unduly blamed if one 

 missed some species that were present in the neighbourhood. 



The ground explored was mostly mountainous in 

 character, heavily wooded with beech. Numerous streams 

 rushed down their little valleys to join the Morava River — 

 a most excellent hunting ground. 



Ptevis aquilina grows everywhere. In fact, it is so 

 universal that one scarcely takes any notice of it. One 

 almost forgets that it is as much a fern as any of the 

 others. 



Next to the bracken, Athyvium filix fo&mina is undoubtedly 

 the commonest fern. It grows in just the kind of situation 

 we are accustomed to see it in this country. In places 

 where the trees have been cut down, the fern becomes 

 dwarfed and brown, as one would expect. Otherwise, 

 among some thousands of plants, no variation of any sort 

 was noticed. 



The male fern occurs frequently, but is by no means 

 as plentiful as the lady fern. No specimens of the 

 " pseudo-mas " type were seen, most being typically 

 " filix-mas " in character. 



Lastvea dilatata is not entered in my diary, but unless 

 I am much mistaken, I have found the plant. Some 

 half-dozen specimens of L. spinulosa type were found in 

 different districts, but it is not abundant. 



The soft prickly Shield Fern could be found in almost 



