THE FtOBA OF PABASNATH. 255 



The Himalayas and Khasia rather spoil one for a small thing 

 like Parasnath ; but Parasnath is really very rich ; the number of 

 trees that flourish at or above 4000 feet is remarkable, and some 

 of them, as Q-rewia asiatica, appear to grow higher up at this 

 elevation than elsewhere. I noticed that Heptapleuron com- 

 mences its life here as a scandent epiphyte, but subsequently 

 reaching the ground, it grows to a large size as a tree, and shows 

 no sign of its early history. Other Araliads do this in Sikkim. 

 thus imitating WigJitia and several of the Figs. 



I attempted photographs on Parasnath, but I had only some 

 gelatine plates that have been through the rains at Calcutta, and 

 I cannot tell how they may develop, possibly not at all. 



By the north railway Darjeeling is now so quickly and easily 

 reached that all the pressure of Calcutta visitors is taken off 

 Parasnath, which is chiefly visited from the neighbourhood. The 

 coal-mines here give employment to a large English population, and 

 the East-Indian Eailway has some of its largest works not far off, 

 so that the Bungalow at 4200 feet is still used : indeed I met a 

 lady who went up for the whole hot weather, nearly two months. 

 The air is perfect on Parasnath, and the change sufficient for the 

 Englishman from the plains who, if he goes to 7000 feet at Dar- 

 jeeling, may there get " chill," or " fever," or " hill-dysentery." 

 Parasnath is perfectly healthy ; and the succession of visitors still 

 bless Sir GL Campbell, who purchased the bungalow (very cheaply) 

 with the express purpose that Europeans might recruit there. 



I collected at about 2500 feet alt., on Parasnath, the remark- 

 able Rice we know (perhaps wrongly) as Oryza coarctata, Eoxb. 

 It has the hard, horny, almost woody root, and the broad plicate 

 ribbed leaves that so many of the rocky-wood inhabiting grasses 

 possess ; but the flowers and fruit are completely Oryza. Indeed 

 the natives tell me that it is a high-class food-rice, and that 

 though so scanty and troublesome to collect, they sometimes set 

 their children to collect a little, as exceptionally good in quality. 



Tours very truly, 



C. B. Claeee. 



