128 MR. c. B. claukk's botanical observations 



Botanicul Observations made in a Journey to tlie Naga Hills 



(between i\ssam and Muneypore), in a Letter addressed to 

 Sir J. D. Hooker, K.C.S.I., F.E.S., by C. B. CLAto, Esq., 



F.E.S., r.L.s. 



[Eead 1st April, 1886.] 



Koliiraa, Naga Hills, 



Oct. 30, 1885. 



My dear Sir J. D. Hooker, 



I arrived here ten days ago. The station is 4750 feet alt. ; 

 and '' Jakpho," distant 10 miles, is 9980 feet alt. Having heard 

 that the vegetation here was totally unlike that of the Khasi 

 HiUs, I thought that there must be a great harvest of new species 

 to be got here. But Col. Robertson, commanding now at Debro- 

 gurh, who know^s both Kobima and Darjeeling, warned me that 

 I should find Kohinia to be very much Darjeeling over again. 

 This I find so to be. Nearly all the plants that grow both ia 

 Sikkim and Khasia appear to grow here (the place is exceedingly 

 rich botanically) ; besides these there is a large ^^^^^entage^of 

 Sikkim plants not known in Khasia, and besides these there is 

 a small percentage of Khasi plants not known in Sikkim, and a 

 small percentage of new species. Al?o, the country here above 

 5000 feet being nearly all jungle (the open grass only small 

 patches), the Sikkim plants altogether predominate in number of 

 individuals, and make Kohima resemble Darjeeling, not Shillong. 

 In marching upon Kohima, for miles together the road was so 

 like that from Darjeeling to Mungpo that I could not have been 

 sure that I was not in Sikkim ; and the vegetation from Kohima 

 to the top of Jakpho closely resembles that from the little Bun- 

 gait to the top of Tonglo. I understand that about 30 miles 

 south of Kohima I shall enter on open grass and the Khasi flora; 

 and that the change from the jungle to grass is sudden. It is 

 also to be recollected that the highest point in the Khasi Hills 

 is under G500 feet alt., and that therefore we could hardly expect 

 Khasi plants between 7000 and 9980 feet alt. here. Still it is 

 remarkable that we are on one range of hills here w^ith Khasia 

 not 100 miles off, while Darjeeling is not only 800 miles off, with 

 the whole Brahmapootra valley between, but that Shillong comes 

 almost in a line letween this and Darjeeling, — yet the whole 

 character of Kobima is totally unlike Khasia and very much 



like Darjeeling. 



The country here may be divided much as you divided Sikkim, 



