CHUMBA STATE AND BRITISH LAIIOUL. 375 



cularly also an increased number of species of Compositse, Primu- 

 lacea?, Labiatea?, and Ferns. Lichens and Mosses also become 

 very abundant ; but, as pointed out to me by Dr. Stirton, tbey are, 

 in common with those from the plains of India, chiefly in an ar- 

 rested state, the apothecia being imperfectly developed. Clematis 

 montana and a scandent Caryophylla?ea (Cuculalus bacciferus) are 

 especially abundant. On leaving the belt of pine-forests, stunted 

 Oaks, the Birch, and Rhododendron campanulatum were met with. 

 Above these a species of Juniper up to 14,000 feet, becoming ulti- 

 mately a prostrate woody creeper not six inches above the ground. 

 Along with this, in July and August, a bewildering glow of colours 

 clothes the hill-sides to the foot of the snows, in which the primary 

 colours predominate. The following bright-blue flowers were col- 

 lected within a radius of 1000 yards — Delphinium Brunonianum, 

 D. vestitum, Aconitum Napellus, A. heterophyllum, Jifeconopsis 

 aculeata, Boyle (the most handsome N.W. plant), Corydalis 

 cachemiriana, Primula denticulata (P. purpurea), Gentiana, sp., 

 and Myosotis, sp. With these Primula rosea, covering large 

 patches and intermingling with an immense number of yellow 

 flowers, forms a perfectly dazzling flower-bed, relieved by the 

 breaths of snow amongst which they are found. 

 1 Third Region. — On crossing the middle and principal chain into 

 the valley of the Chundra-Baga a much more marked and striking 

 change in the vegetation was noticed. New families appeared ; 

 and many but poorly represented in the Second region were here 

 found to suddenly double their number of species. Thus, in 

 Ranunculacea? 6 species are in the First region, 22 in the Second, 

 and 41 in the Third, of which 14 were common to the Second and 

 Third regions. Fumariacea? 13, of which 7 are confined to the 

 Third region, while only 2 seem confined to the Second. Of 43 

 Cruciferae, 26 are contained within the Third region, while only 

 4 species seem peculiar to the Second. Tamariscinese make their 

 appearance in this region ; and, indeed, Myricaria germanica is one 

 of the commonest bushes throughout Lahoul. It is, however, in 

 Papilionaceee and Rosacea? that the most marked change takes 

 place : thus, out of 52 Papilionacea?, 27 seem peculiar to the 

 Chenab valley, or were not recorded in the Ravee basin. Of 51 

 Rosacea?, 25 are found in this region only, with, in addition, 10 

 which are also found in the second region. 



The deciduous forests of the Third region are composed of a 

 number of trees unknown or only introduced in the south of the 



