292 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



Calami, when you have to disentangle yourself after every stroke. The 

 elephants have done pioneer work in that direction. We are only sorry 

 that we never met one of that tribe in order to express to him our deep-felt 

 gratitude. We must, indeed, be grateful to them ; but for them our harvest 

 would have been a poor one. We are strongly in favour of a law protecting 

 that most scientific of Indian animals. 



There is scarcely any herbaceous vegetation under the trees. The 

 evergreen forest can at once be distinguished from the deciduous one by 

 the almost total absence of grasses. It was only on bare rocky spots or 

 along the water courses that we found a varied herbaceous flora. Several 

 species of Impaiirms and Bef/onia, Utricularia, Klufjia notoniana, Viola, 

 Thalictrum Jacanicum, Polyyala, Drosera, Burmanni<'., Lobelia, Kalancfw, etc., 

 were found in those localities. 



The ferns deserve a special note, and I have to thank Mr. Almeida for it. 

 A few hundred feet from the foot of the mountain we meet those ferns 

 which are able to withstand the heat of the sun and long periods of 

 drought. Adiantum caudaium first makes its appearance. Higher up the 

 beautiful little Actinopteris, which is likewise an inhabitant of dry rocky 

 places, attracts our attention, and from the crevices in the rocks project 

 the heart-shaped fronds of Hemionitis. The hardy Sc/iizoloma ensifolia and 

 the bracken fern {Pteiis aiiuilina) occur higher up at about 3,000 feet 

 elevation. But the favourite habitat of the ferns is the evergreen forest, 

 where shade, shelter, and abundance of moisture have given rise to their 

 most luxuriant development. There in the twilight of the forest, the 

 Aspleniece vie with each other in the delicacy of their foliage. Of the 

 Aspidieee the most interesting plant is Oleundra musafolia whose stem, 

 resembling a serpent, hangs down from the rocky ledge. The most favourite 

 spots, however, are the mossy banks of the brooks. It is here that we find 

 the gigantic tree-ferns. One of these, Cyathea spinulosa, acquires in some 

 places a height of 15-20 feet. 



So far the general aspect of the vegetation. As to the exact composition 

 of the flora we shall be able to give accurate data after having worked out 

 the material. In the meantime it may suffice to indicate the chief distinc- 

 tive characters of the flora of tlie High Wavy Mountain, when contrasted 

 with the vegetatian of the Deccan. It is firstly the presence of a great 

 number of GuttifercE, Dipteroca)pace(e , Mijristicaceu, I'ulmcii, and Bambusea, 

 secondly, the great excess of species of Malayan type, especially Sterculiacew, 

 Anacardiacca:, Mcliacew, Avipelidace^:':, Gesneracea;, Piperacecc and Orckidacen;. 

 We have examined only a small part of about 2,000 specimens brought 

 home. The result seems to be satisfactory. Of Orchids we have described 

 (i new species and several varieties, of Vines about o species. Other orders, 

 too, seem to promise well. It is not astonishing in the least that there 

 should be many new species. If we consider that Fj'son has discov^ered 13 

 new species on the Nilgiri and Palni HiJls (above 6,500 feet) which had 

 been explored repeatedly by many botanists in the course of 150 years, it 

 is only natural that unknown forms should be found in a somewhat isolated 

 area, which has never been visited, not even by a collector. There are 

 many similar spots in India and of a much wider area, which are practi- 

 cally unknown from a botanical point of view. 



