BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 985 
less the most “comfortable " tropical country. The Englishman finds his 
own language spoken, and all his usual wants provided for, and it is by 
no means so unhealthy as is supposed at home. In the lowlands, 
whatever the islanders may tell him, a stranger runs great risk of fever, 
as is sufficiently proved by statistical facts ; but in the hills there is no 
such danger, Even for the lowlands there is this to be said, that there 
are no coughs or colds there, nor touches of rheumatism, nor any of 
those other minor ailments from which in the aggregate we suffer so 
much in England. The healthiest season there is from the beginning 
of December till the May rains, and the unhealthiest the autumnal 
months. From what I have seen, I believe the botanist will fiud no 
more convenient centre than Moneague, and it may be no feeble 
recommendation to him that there is an excellent inn here. The 
hospitality of the resident proprietors is unbounded; but every one 
engaged in a scientific pursuit will have felt himself more or less 
restrained when on a visit, and that he must of necessity have a home 
to work from. The temperature of 1849, in the drawing-room at 
Woodfield House, five miles hence, was :— 
Jan., highest 72, lowest 67. July, highest 82, lowest 79. 
Feb. $2140 —— WE Aug. ^u^ 0^4 TS 
NM CG caudis co Dept BES TE 
NC ^u e cus ce Or o BES vue 
Ma a n dggesi o X Nan G T vc» 
Ks -.- B] o Oe PNE CY OT, A 
At Moneague the day-temperature is rather higher and the night 
lower. Out of doors the thermometer at sunrise during April was 
often down to 62. Woodfield House is on an eminence, and 
Moneague in the valley. 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
A List of ORCHIDEA found in Assam and the neighbouring Hills. 
[Few countries in the world afford a richer field to the botanist than 
Assam, in Eastern Bengal, and the neighbourmg Khasya and other 
hills, hitherto quite unexplored, save what has been done by the inde- 
