218 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 
N.-W. P. : D. D. Dist .— Jaunsar ; Chachpur Peak 10,000', Gamble 1892, Kerana 
9500', Gamble 1898 Con sheet with A. Thomsoni') ; T. Garh. — 10-16,000', (ten stations) 
.Duthie 1879 — 88 ; Brit. Garh,.— Dombitia Gadh 9-10,000', Duthie 1885 ; Kumaun — 
Wallich ; above Tola 12,500' and near Milam, S. & W.; Palam Vy. 11-13,000', S. & W., 
Trotter Pinsara 10,000', Davidson ; Dhauli Valiey 14-15,000', Duthie 1884 ; near 
Pindari Glacier 10-11,000', Trotter 1891. 
Nepal, W.— -Nampa Gadh, 12-18,000', Duthie 1886. 
Distkib. — Asia \ N. Ind. (Him.) — Nepal ; Sikkim and Bhotan. 
Clarke’s and Beddome’s descriptions of A. Prescottianum are better than 
that in the Synopsis in that they mention the fibrilloe or narrow scales which 
are mixed with the large broadly ovate-acuminate scales on the stipes and 
rhachis. On the rhachis the scales get narrow and smaller, and the fibrillse 
more hair-like. The fibrillse are found on the surfaces, perhaps more sparing- 
ly on the upper than on the lower. The cutting of the frond varies of course 
with the size ; but, with the exception mentioned below, I cannot find any 
specimens on which the pinnae are ts even pinnate,” as Beddome says they are ; 
and yet I have fronds, gathered by myself on Hatu (or Hatugarh) Mt., which 
are up to 27 ins. long by 4 ins. broad, though 18 by 3 ins. are the 
maximum dimensions given in the Synopsis. The habit of the plant is well 
described by Blanford — “ abundant on Hatu, growing in dense masses, on 
the hill side between 9,500 and 10,500 ft.” — in the open, chiefly, I should add. 
The rhachis may be weak, as the Synopsis says ; but the masses on Hatu Mt. 
Blanford speaks of (as I have seen) are composed of stout upstanding plants ; 
the fronds support each other, perhaps. Normal fronds of old plants have 
from 35 to 40 pairs of pinnae — generally about 40 — cut down to a winged 
rhachis into 8- — 10 pairs of elongated rhomboidal segments which have 4 or 5 
pairs of aristately toothed lobes. Beddome’s figure is from a young plant, and 
does not correspond with his description. 
I have a beautiful little frond from Kashmir, Duthie’s No. 13539 above- 
meitioned, stipe (incomplete) about 3 inches, frond 10 in. long by 2 in. broad, 
unextended, bipinnate, pinnules stalked, distant, rather bluntly and shallowly 
lobed or toothed, scales and fibrillse as of P. Prescottianum , with numerous 
pinnae ilf which most are again pinnate. Small as it is, it is mature and 
crowded with sori ; and had I more material like this I should be inclined 
to make of it a separate species, from the distinct bipinnateness, the great 
breadth of frond in proportion to length, and other characters. 
Another form, notably different from the type, is that of Duthie’s speci- 
mens Nos. 2215, 5159, and 6240, from Tehri Garhwal, British Garhwal, and 
West Nepal, which has stipes up to 10 or 11 inches in length, very regularly 
shaped ovate-lanceolate bipinnate fronds 15 — 18 ins. long by 4 — 5 ins. broad ; 
pinnae distant, about 30 pairs below the pionatifid apex of the frond, pinnules 
