Capricorn, and plates of nearly all of them. Of these 170 specie, only 

 12 arc peculiar to tin 1 Cape, 75 of the 157 true ferns being found in the 

 south-west district, 78 in the fouth-east, 89 in Kaffraria, 61 in the 

 Transvaal, and 130 in Xatal. The synonymy of'lhe species is carefully 

 worked out, and theii li I the seven geographical 



districts e-tablislied by Mr. Bolus. The fern-flora of South Africa does 

 not show the same richness and remarkable individuality which 

 characterises the Phanerogamic botany of the Colony, and continental 

 Africa as a whole is much poorer in ferns and in endemic species than 

 Asia and America Madaga>car, Mauritius, and Bourbon have a very 

 rich fern-flora. Mr. Sim is far behind the time instating the number 

 of ferns Vnown in Madagascar at 144. The number of species at present 

 known is 366. The per-centage he states for the number of ferns peculiar 

 to Africa (67 per cent.) is far too high. The proper number for the 

 Seychelles is H>. not 30. The hook, with its plates, makes all about the 

 Cape ferns so clear, that r.o doubt it will give a great impulse to 

 the collecting and study of ferns by the inhabitants of the colony. 



