102 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viil. 



Mr. B:ill, whose interesting paper on the geology of the vicinity 

 of Port Blair* I have already quoted, states that the principal 

 rock of Mount Harriet is a coarse yellowish-green or grey sand- 

 stone, apparently very absorbent of water ; also that close to the 

 top of the hill the sandstone appears in vertical beds, but that 

 on the ascent the rocks are much obscured by humus. 



During the alternations from gloom to sunshine which the 

 moving clouds so frequently created, the effects of light and shade 

 upon the extended landscape open to our view were exceedingly 

 beautiful, and sometimes so wonderfully rapid and complete as 

 to be almost startling. In a single instant it seemed as if the 

 forest changed from a brilliant combination of vivid greens to a 

 solemn and uniform, heavy-looking, almost blue tint, while per- 

 haps, after the lapse of a few seconds, it would suddenly reveal 

 itself again in all its former sunny brightness. The luminous 

 play upon the water under these conditions, though perhaps not 

 quite so striking, was even more lovely still, — now presenting to 

 our gaze a sapphire sea, and anon passing quickly to chryso- 

 prase and emerald, to flash back upon us next moment with 

 an intensity of blue rivalling the deepest azure of a southern 

 sky. 



There were scarcely any flowers in bloom, excepting orchids, 

 which seemed to be chiefly representatives of various species of 

 Dendrobium, but they were all out of reach, and I did not pro- 

 cure a single specimen. Many of the trees were unknown to me, 

 but in the forests I recognized a few that I was familiar with ;. 

 amongst which were Dipterocarpus Icevis, Mesua ferrea, and 

 Pterocarpns dalbergi aides. There was also a tree with brilliant 

 and red decaying leaves, so like Terminalia catappa, that I have 

 no doubt of its having been T. procera, as mentioned by Mr. 

 Kurz;* an Acacia in tolerable abundance, and a Lagerstrcemia ; 

 also in the lower and denser forest extending down to the beach, 

 Sterculia fcetida and a gigantic Dillenia, which was probably D. 

 pilosa of Roxburgh. I met with no tree-ferns of any kind, and 

 scarcely any pilms, excepting a prickly climbing Calamus, which 

 was very common, while the great pendulous lichens, such as I 

 have s e » adorning the damp forests of the eastern Himalaya 

 in profuse quantities, were altogether absent. Pathos scandens, 

 however, another characteristic plant of the moist Himalayan 

 wood-, was everywhere plentiful and luxuriant. Mangroves 



* J. A. S. B., xxxix. p. 231. 



