272 WILLIS : Nil. FLORA OF RITIGALA: 



•• Though actually itself of no great altitude, Ritigala is the 

 highest ground intervening between the central mass of the 

 Ceylon mountain system and the very similar hills of Southern 

 India. From its complete isolation and abrupt rise on all 

 sides, directly from the low country, it presents a more im- 

 posing appearance than would be expected from its real height 

 (2,506 feet) ; and this is always over-estimated by those 

 endeavouring to fix its altitude by the eye alone. 



" The nearest ground of equal height is to the south, about 

 40 miles, in the foothills of North Matale, where however, the 

 hills run up to over 4,000 feet, and thus enter our real 

 mountain zone. None of the numerous other hills which 

 stand up out of the great forest-covered plain of central Ceylon 

 attain so great a height as Ritigala : the peak called Friar's 

 Hood, in the Eastern Province (2,147 feet) being the nearest 

 approach. The hills known as "Westminster Abbey" 

 (1,829 feet) and ''Gunner's Quoin ' : in Tamankaduwa 

 (1,736 feet) come next ; and the better known ones, Dambulla. 

 Sigiri, and Mihintale, are all much below this last elevation. 



' Now, though the botany of these lower rocky hills is often 

 very interesting, and they are the home of many curious, 

 rare, or very local species, the general character of their 

 vegetation does not differ in type from that of the great dry 

 forest tract spread out around their bases ; and it was one of 

 the principal points in the ascent of Ritigala to find out whether, 

 as reported, there occurred any vegetation of a different 

 character at its summit. It was the continuation of this 

 rumour, that the cap of Ritigala really does present a charac- 

 teristic little oasis of vegetation distinct from the dry country 

 type Burrounding it. thai has made ii worth while to write 



1 his botanical addendum to Mr. ( .Veen's paper. 



The interest of this remarkable little flora lies in its small 

 extent. It all occurs, [suppose, within 100 feet of the summit, 

 and though I am unable to give its actual area, it cannot be 

 many acres, as the ascent is steep. In this small space are 

 found a 1 1 ii in her of species belonging to the flora of the rotter 



