The Ferns of Bombay

IT is strange that the ferns though distinguished by an infinite variety in the form and division of their leaves and the elegant beauty of their whole appearance received so little attention in the Bombay Presidency on the part of botanists as well as of amateurs. An explanation of the fact may be found in the circumstance that just near the centres of human commerce in the Presidency the fern vegetation is very scanty or almost nil. Other parts with a rich growth of ferns are inaccessible to most of us during the four rainy months of the year when plant-life is at its best. A second reason might be the difficulty that is generally experienced in the identification of the members of this class of plants. To obviate the latter difficulty the author offers this volume to the public.