couple of fronds from it, hanging on them with all his weight. This species 
is easily distinguished from the next one by its size, and the wooliness of the 
underside of its fronds. 
6. Alsophila glabra, Hk. 
Bed. 1. t. 60. The fronds of this fern grow to a very large size on the banks 
of streams in the Kallibokka Valley, and on the Bambodde Pass, but its caudex 
is generally so short that it scarcely deserves the name of tree-fern, except from 
the large head of fronds it displays. It is easily distinguished from No. 5. by 
its smooth thin fronds. Mr. Lawton has photographed some characteristic 
specimens of this fern. 
7, Diacalpe aspidioides, Bl. 
Bed. 1. t. 257. This was at one time such a rare fern in Ceylon, that 
it was found only at the Black Pool, at Newera Ellia, by Dr. Bradford, but I 
have received specimens of it from Mr. John Dent Young, of the Public Works j 
Department from Doragallatenna, in the region of Adam’s Peak ; small ones from 
Scalpa, in Dimboola, and last year Major Hutchison and Mr. Gr. Wall came upon 
lots of it near the Kurundu Oya, in the Elephant Plains. Since writing the j 
above, I have received the following note amongst others from Major Hutchison: — 
“ I have found this in small quantity at the Ladies’ Waterfall, Newera Ellia 
(above the Black Pool), and on Horton Plains, and in great abundance on the ; 
Kurunda Oya where the bridle road from Maturatta to the Elephant Plains | 
crosses the river.” It is not at first sight unlike No. 8. in general shape and ap- 
pearance. 
Tribe 2, Dicksonie^:. 
8. Dicksonia scabra, Wall. 
Bed. 1. t. 258. This is the only fern in Ceylon of the tribe to which it 
belongs. It is found on the sides of the bridle road between Dimboola and Newera 
Ellia, and very abundantly in the Newera Ellia Plains. It is a handsome fern 
of a deltoid shape as one of its names implies. It is a good deal like No. 7 in 
general appearance. 
Tribe 3, Hymenophylle^e. 
9. Hymenophyllum corticola, Hk. 
Bed. 1. t. 264. This tiny film fern is peculiar to Ceylon, and must I 
think be a rare one, as I found it only once growing on the bark of a single tree. 
It has narrow divisions with the fruit at their points, and turns dark and brittle 
when dry. The following are facts connected with the discovery of this fern 
by me. When riding at a canter, following Mr. A. H. Thomas, through the tract 
of forest that separated Madulkelly Estate in Kallibokka, from Matala, in 1859, 
I got a passing glimpse of this fern, and called out “ I have just seen a fern 
new to me.” The reply was “stop and collect it, as you may not find it again.” 
“ Ho on, I know I can find it, I’ve taken its bearings,” and sure enough we 
did find it on our return. The tree on which it grew was on the right 
hand side of the bridle road not far from the last stream crossed before leaving 
the forest on the Matella side. It is found also in Ambegamoa. 
10. Hymenophyllum emersum, Baker. 
Bed. 1. t. 267. This species is founded on Thwaites C. P. 3360 
being one of the numbers for H. polyanthos, Sw. and which Vanden Bosch 
called H. macroglossum. On a Mauritius specimen of this Fern received from 
Lady Bai’kly, she has written, “ Mr. Baker has since decided on calling it 
H. tenellum.” But in Don’s Prodromus Floras Nepalensis p. 12, there is an 
H. tenellum fully described, and in a complete list of the Ferns given by 
