graphic features of this region are long, narrow, parallel 

 ridges with broad, level valleys between them, all having 

 a general north and south or northeast-southwest trend. 

 The highest mountains in Northwest Georgia stand about 

 2400 feet above sea-level, and the lowest valleys about 

 500. The rocks of this region are all Palaeozoic, ranging 

 in age from Cambrian to Carboniferous, and are princi- 

 pally limestone, sandstone, and shale. Ferns seem to be 

 more abundant here than in any other part of the State, 

 and several species are confined to this region. 



Rising abruptly from the eastern edge of the Palaeozoic 

 region, and bordered all along this line by a bold escarp- 

 ment from 500 to 2000 feet high, is the mountain region 

 proper, a part of the Blue Ridge which extends from 

 Xew York to Alabama. The area of the Blue Ridge in 

 Georgia is about the same as that of the Palaeozoic region. 

 Its highest peaks rise nearly or quite 5000 feet above sea- 

 level, and few of the valleys descend below 1000. Topo- 

 graphically the mountain region is mostly a succession of 

 peaks with numerous ridges radiating from them and 

 narrow valleys between. The rocks are all metamorphic, 

 and consist principally of quartzite. mica-schist, and 

 marble. Comparatively little of the mountain region of 

 Georgia has been explored botanically. principally on 

 account of its relative inaccessibility. Xo botanist is 

 known to have ever visited the marble outcrops, though 

 thev are well known commercially, and none are more 

 than a few miles from a railroad. Some ferns should 

 grow on the marble which are not found elsewhere in 

 the Blue Ridge. Northeast Georgia of course contains 

 some of the grandest scenery in the State, of which Tal- 

 lulah Falls and Toccoa Falls (the latter considerably 

 higher than Niagara) are well-known examples which 

 have been visited by more than one fern student. 



That part of the metamorphic region southeast of the 

 Chattahoochee River is known as Middle Georgia. Its 

 area is about 15,000 square miles, and it is a part of the 

 Piedmont region which borders the mountains all the way 

 from New Jersey to Alabama. Topographically. Middle 



