(19) 



may be found the tropical tree-ferns and the larger specimens 

 of the low ferns and fern-allies. 



The graceful tree-ferns usually inhabit the mountains of 

 the tropics, commonly at an elevation of 1500 feet or more. 

 Many of the plants here have been secured by Garden expe- 

 ditions to different parts of the American tropics. Another 

 feature of interest is the collection of staghorn-ferns, hanging 

 over the walk in the center house ; the application of the com- 

 mon name staghorn is quite evident in several of the species. 

 Suspended from the roof in baskets are many desirable ferns. 

 A fern from China and Tartary, known as the Scythian 

 Lamb (Cibotium Barometz) , may be found here; it is of 

 interest as forming the basis of a marvellous tale, current in 

 early times, to the effect that on a vast plain to the eastward 

 of the Volga occurred a wonderful plant, looking like a lamb ; 

 this animal, so the story ran, was supported upon a stalk and 

 as soon as it had exhausted the vegetation at hand died from 

 starvation. 



In the small house may be found a collection of tropical 

 ferns arranged in botanical sequence, thus bringing closely 

 related families and genera into juxtaposition and enabling 

 a comparative study of these plants to be made. It is only 

 possible to represent in this sequence the position of the tree- 

 ferns by very small specimens. These may be studied to 

 better advantage in the larger houses. 



Power Houses. Steam for heating the conservatories, 

 range 1, is supplied from the power house, located near the 

 New York Central Railroad just south of the 200th Street 

 entrance and connected with the conservatories by a subway 

 about six hundred feet long containing the steam mains ; five 

 boilers are installed and supply steam not only to the con- 

 servatories, but also to the museum building through another 

 subway about twelve hundred feet in length. 



Steam. for heating the conservatories, range 2, is supplied 

 from a boiler house near this structure, a little to the north. 



