762 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVIII. 



below the surface, in many places is found a clay of perfectly white 

 colour like lime, and in others we meet with a strong tough yellow clay 

 mixed with small stones. In the former water is said to be found most 

 abundant, but not of the best quality; and in the latter, water of an 

 excellent quality is generally got by penetrating through a thin bed 

 of rock lying beneath it. In some of the plains near the hills excellent 

 water is found by cutting through a sandstone which often lies within 

 four feet of the surface ; and in other plains wells have been sunk 

 sixty or seventy feet deep without meeting with either water or stone 

 of any kind. In Vagad the soil is more loamy than in any other part 

 of Cutch ; and in many instances under the hills throughout the 

 province we meet with a rich soil thickly covered with a coarse kind 

 of gravel, which seems in some way or other to aid vegetation. Ex- 

 tensive salt wastes, which are not uncommon, are frequently encrusted 

 with a saline covering, and yield no vegetation. 



The following list contains the indigenous plants as well as those 

 commonly cultivated. No mention is made of the numerous species 

 introduced into the splendid gardens of H. H. the Rao of Cutch and 

 of the Political Agent residing in Bhuj. The geographical distribu- 

 tion 1 has been added to each species in order go facilitate the forma- 

 tion of a general idea as to the origin and composition of the flora 

 and its present relations to^ the vegetation of the neighbouring 

 countries. 



In this place I should like to express my sincerest thanks to H. li- 

 the Rao of Cutch, to Col. Abud, the Political Agent, to the Dewan 

 Saheb, Mr. Chunilal Sarabhai, and to Mr. R. H. Kotwal, the Com- 

 missioner of Police, for the kind assistance they gave us throughout 

 our stay in Cutch. 



1. Magnoliacece — 



(1) Michelia champaca, L. — Cultivated ; flowers : Apr.-Sept. — Java. 



2. Anonacece — 



(2) Polyalthia longifolia, Benth and Hook. — Not indigenous; flowers 



Apr.-May — Ceylon. 



(3) Anona squamosa, L. — Cultivated. — West Indies. 



(4) Anona reticulata, L. — Cultivated. — West Indies. 



3. Menispermacece — 



(5) Tinospora cordifolia, Miers — Konkan, Deccan, S. M*. Country. 



■>■ The respective notes have been gathered from the more recent floristic works on Indian 

 plants, especially Th. Cooke and J. D. Hooker. 



