j JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



say that it flowers every three years. The same plant is called Kartt'in Thana, 

 and it is mentioned in the Gicvtieer of that district as flowering after periods of 

 eight years, and that the blossoms exude a quantity of viscid juice called Mel, 

 which appears to be very attractive to cattle. In Nasik this plant flowered 

 abundantly in 18S0. 



A few years ago the Forest Officer iu Jaunsar drew attention to the abundant 

 blossoming of another species of Strohikudhes, which forms a large portion of 

 the undergrowth iu the forests above Chakrata. 



During a tour I made in N.-E. Kumaon in 1886, the flowering of Strpb.it 

 Wallidiii, Ne.es, was remarked as constituting a very striking feature of the 

 scenery up to about 11,000 ft. The hillsides for miles round about Budhi vill; 

 in the Kali Valley, as well as in the Dkauli Valley of Darma, were tinged with a 

 delicate lilac colour, resembling that of heather at a distance. This particular 

 tint was the blend of every shade of purple mixed with pure white.* The 

 flowers have a strong scent of musk, and are very sticky, with glandular hairs. 



During the present year, . Erhnian11t< ra tofnfintosa, Nees, another Acantha- 

 ceous plant, and closely allied to Strobilanthes, has been making itself florife- 

 rously conspicuous on the rocky slopes below Mussoorie. Its rich purple flowers 

 and silvery pubescent foliage produce a beautiful effect as seen in masses. In 

 regard to the above-mentioned examples, the gregarious habit of growth is a 

 great aid towards observing occurrences of those periodical bursts of blossoming. 

 The final reproductive effort exhibited by some kinds of the bamboo, after a 

 certain period of flowerless condition, frequently results in the death of all the 

 individual plants of a species, even of those which developed no flowers. The 

 species of S.trob,ilcutt7ws and J;V/i manfJiA <nt mentioned above do not, however. 

 appear to be affected in this way. 



J. F. DUTHIE. 

 Dehra, 1th October, 1890. 



V, MABRHOP SHOOTING IN EAST AFGHANISTAN. 



Mr. John E. Pextox, District Superintendent of Police, Jacobabad, writes 



as follows : - 



" I have just returned from East Afghanistan, where I have been shading 



Murkhor— the straight-horned variety — whose habitat Kiuloch gives as )'iis,>/- 



. t\e Khiiih.n . arid other parts <>f S'itIIk ni Afghanistan ; and. as I fancy there is 



not much <iu reriud about this particular variety, I will venture to give you 



what little experience I have gained of its habits, size, &c. . 



The Murkhor found in Afghanistan is an exceedingly fine animal, an old 

 male will measure from oG to 40 inches or more at the shoulder. The largest 



iliis species is found also in China, anil the flowers are said to vary there from 

 white to pale blue and purple. ('Forbes and Xem-dey, hide* Fiur<' Sinensis, in 



I ii . hi n a . >'<•'■.. wvi. 242.) 



