666 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
such rapidity, that after two days’ journey I had the satisfaction of 
again standing on terra firma. To the snow unfortunately suc- 
ceeded heavy rain which rendered my journey here less pleasant 
than it would otherwise have been. This is the rainy month in 
Kashmir (as in Cabool), the periodical rains not making their way 
across the high snowy range which forms the south boundary of 
the valley. As soon as I got out of the snow, of course I found 
the commencement of vegetation, and was of course busy enough. 
The rapidity of the descent brought me very quickly into different 
zones of vegetation; and as most of the trees were still bare of 
leaves, and only a few herbaceous plants in flower, I fear my 
observations are not of great value, and that I have no very clear 
idea of the nature of the changes which took place. From the 
crest of the pass, on which grew only a few birches and willows 
covered with snow, the descent to the valley of the river was very 
rapid, and pine forests soon came in sight,—Pinus excelsa as 
usual attaining the greatest height. A Picea (Pindrow) was also 
common. On the upper part of the river the banks were covered 
with pines, birches, poplars and willows, the deciduous leaved 
ees unfortunately not in a state to determine their species. By 
degrees all these trees left the river, and were only to be seen on 
the sides of the mountains, while the valley which had widened 
considerably was occupied by fields, fruit trees, and cultivated 
willows and poplars. The first shrub which occurred in flowerqas 
Viburnum nervosum, the rose-coloured buds and white flowers of 
which are exceedingly ornamental. I met with Falconer's Fother- 
gilia involucrata in immense quantity in the lower half of the 
Scinde valley, and indeed find the vegetation to accord exactly 
with the description given by him as quoted at the end of the mtro- 
duction to Royle's [lustrations. The Flora may be said to be inter- 
mediate between that of the Indus valley, and of the eastern part 
of the Himalaya: but in spite of the great difference in appear- 
ance produced by the abundance of forest, it is I am inclined to 
think considerably nearer the former. In richness and luxuriance 
it agrees with the Simla and Massoori hills, but though many 
species are common to both, yet, as Falconer has well remarked, 
