104. 



BOTANY OF MOULMEIN. 



latter is a Ptais, very like our common Bmke, P. aquilina. Captain 

 Tickell brouglit down specimens of it -, also of what he calls a Rhodo- 

 dendron, which he describes as a beautiful shrub, in full flower. He 

 kindly made a sketch of it ; but, as the details are not botauically ac- 

 curate, I cannot decide this point, but hope to do so, if I can succeed 

 in preserving a growing plant of it, which however looks very poorly. 

 The leaves resemble those of a Rhododendron. There are no Pines on 

 the mountain. The temperature was not low ; it was 50° on the summit, 

 at seven a.m., in January ; and as to the statement that Pines do not 

 grow on Moolee-it, I can only say that the mountains near Tounghoo, 

 about two hundred miles to the north, are covered with a species of 

 which I have received branches and cones, gathered at an altitude of 

 8000 feet, and which prove to be those of P. lonc/ifolia. 



I deeply regretted my inability to accompany Captain Tickell to 

 Moolee-it, which, in very clear weatlier, may be descried from hence, 

 and is about seventy or eighty miles distant. It is very inaccessible ; 

 there are no roads or inhabitants in that part of the country. Captain 

 Tickell of course commanded the services of the Burmese wherever he 

 went, taking them from the nearest villages, and making them show 

 him the way: he had as many as a hundred men with him, and 

 eight elephants.- Night after night he and his party encamped in the 

 jungle. ^ The ascent was extremely difficult, and the whole expedition 

 one which a naturalist alone would have undertaken. What a pity that 

 I could not go with him, and that my friend has no knowledge of 

 botany ! Never did I regret anything so mucli in all my life. I am 

 never hkely to be able to command the necessary means for such a 

 tour, even if I had the time to devote to it. Possibly Captain Tickell 

 may go again, and I may be so fortunate as to accompany him, at least 

 for a few days, next season ; if I do, you may depend on my making 

 good use of my time. Ferns and Mosses are my favourite plants, and 

 I know but little of other kinds ; stiU my ignorance shall not prevent 

 my collecting everything I can find. 



At Mergui I gathered a splendid Platycerium, neither P. alclcorne 

 nor P. grande : is it new ?* Do you know of any species still larger 

 and finer than the latter ? If not, I have one incomparably excelling 

 it ; It has a crown, and sessile fronds, two feet across and two feet high, 

 and pendent fronds three feet long and repeatedly dichotomous ; fruc- 



* In all probability Platycerium hiforme. 



.^ 



