556 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
the conclusion he has come to is, that they are of very high 
antiquity, and owe their origin to a pastoral race which still 
inhabit the higher ranges of the Neelgherries, and which he 
has undertaken to prove are of Scythian descent. On the Neel- 
gherries these people are known by the name of Tandawars, 
or more commonly Toders. 'They engage in no agricultural 
pursuit; but rear large herds of buffaloes, the milk of which 
forms the principal part of their food, and great numbers of 
which animals are sacrificed in a most cruel manner atthedeath 
of their chiefs. These natives are nearly black, and area very 
wild.looking race of beings, having only the lower. part of 
their body covered with a few rags. Itis said that female infan- 
ticide was formerly practised-among them to a great extent. 
Before reaching the banks of the Pycarrah, we passed 
through a large marsh full of Acorus Calamus, not then 
in flower. Our walk along the side of the river was 
very productive. All along it, a pretty species of Osmunda 
grows luxuriantly, and I was fortunate in finding it 
in beautiful fructification. The effects of the past winter 
were as visible here as in the  Kaitie valley ; the 
tender fronds of the Osmunda, and the young shoots of 
an Agapetes, and a fruticose Hedyotis, being very much 
browned. We crossed the stream at a place where the 
current runs with great rapidity among a number of large 
stones; and on these we found a curious little Podostemon. - 
A little black shell (a Nerita) is also very common on 
the rocks. A dry bank afforded a species of Nicholsonia, 
the first, I believe, which has yet been found out of America. 
Ligustrum Perottetii grew abundantly on the banks, but was - 
not in flower. Further down we collected Senecio Wightiana, 
Blumea hieracifolia, Lycopodium alpinum? an Eriocaulon, 
two kinds of Utricularia, and Pimpinella Candolleana. 
Next morning, before breakfast, we walked down to the 
river, crossing it at a place where the bed is broad, and 
the water in detached streams falls over a succession of | 
shelving rocks. Growing on these were three species of | 
Podostemon, one of them being the same as that found on - 
