54 THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
it has been found convenient to divide South Africa as 
follows : — 
(1) West, including the Cape Peninsula, the Karroo, the 
north-western dry country, and the Knysna forests 
which agree generally with the neighbourhood of 
Capetown. 
(2) East, including the country along the two railways 
from Port Elizabeth to Rosmead. 
(3) Kaffraria, from the Fish River to the Natal Border. 
(4) Natal. 
(5) Orange Free State. 
(6) Transvaal, including Swaziland. 
(7) Rhodesia. 
(8) Portuguese East Africa. 
These last five are political boundaries and easily defined, 
but are not very satisfactory as plant-distribution areas, since 
the dividing line is along the mountain range and, as in the 
case of the Orange Free State, the whole Province may be 
nearly destitute of ferns, but still it has a long list from the 
few kloofs on the boundary. 
So also the first division is unsatisfactory as a plant-dis- 
tribution area, since it includes exceedingly dry country, and 
also moist forests, but these are inseparably mixed, and, as 
elsewhere, each species selects its own habitat. 
