118 MB. C. B. CLARK KS BOTANIC NOTES 



is therefore possible that many errors have crept in. But I believe 

 the names are near enough to give a sufficiently exact idea of the 

 nature of the flora ; and, moreover, the Members of your Society 

 will be able to judge from the general character of the list how 

 close its accuracy may probably be. 



In order to keep the list within some reasonable limits, I have 

 excluded in general all reference to the distribution of the species 

 named below 7000 feet, and also all reference to other species to 

 be found below 7000 feet. It will be understood that many plants 

 marked "7000-8000 ped. alt., scarce or frequent," may be very 

 common at lower levels. The list is arranged according to the 

 sequence of the orders in Lindley ; for I have always kept my 

 plants in that sequence, because Lindley gives me a printed index 

 to the whole, which no unfinished botanic work on orders or genera 

 can do. 



The dripping forest in Sikkim extends from about 5500 to 9000 

 feet. Above 9000 feet the Rhododendrons come in ; below 5500 

 feet is cultivation. The present list represents more particularly 

 the upper half of the dripping moss-covered forest. This forest 

 is specially characterized by the prevalence of Oaks, Magnolias, 

 Laurels, and Araliads, and beneath these trees by TJrticese, 

 Impatiens, Cyrtandraceae, Itubi, and small Bamboos. Conspicu- 

 ously absent are Leguminosae and Malvaceae. 



Dr. Hooker has noted the leading botanic features of Tonglo 

 top, and also the gaps or absent orders. But many of the orders 

 stated by him to be conspicuously absent I found very fairly re- 

 presented, such as Umbelliferae, Geranieae, Fumarieae, Kanuncu- 

 lacese. I do not suppose that Dr. Hooker could have overlooked 

 these orders had they been as prominent in May (the month of 

 his visit) as they are now in September. JSpilobium and Poten- 

 tilla, stated to be absent, are now plentiful. 



The list which I have drawn out will be seen at a glance to 

 be somewhat unequal; i. e. I have paid much more attention 

 to some orders than to others. The reason Ferns are treated at 

 such length is. that I happen to have by me a kind of elaborate 

 index with notes to my own collection of ferns (tinned down in 

 Calcutta) which has enabled me to name the Tonglo ferns more 

 closely and to speak of varieties more fully than in most other 

 orders. 



