122 CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF 



rania, great-flowei'ed Aristolocliia, Parochatus, Smilacituij 

 Convallaria, and Dispora ; some fine Scitammece, Parnassia, 

 Poteiitilla aiiserina, Arum and Ariscemas, Monotropa, Pyrola, 

 Pieris, yellow Craiqfurdia, Iris, Campanula, Palanophora, 

 HahenaricB, and some curious terrestrial orchideae, as Cyrtosia. 

 Wild brambles are abundant, and several kinds are very good. 

 Elceagnus berries ripen. 



In the gardens the rains damage the unprotected flowers 

 sadly. Cuttings are taken of rose, sweet-william, and pink. Such 

 flowers as will blossom after the rains are now sown, as sweet- 

 j>eas and lupines. Tulips flower, but not very well, as does the 

 Fuclisia. Transplanting goes on activelj'. Table vegetables of 

 all kiiids are abundant and good, but flavourless. 



Middle Zone. — I spent the greater part of this month above 

 11,000 feet, a little to the north of the position of Kinchin- 

 junga, in well-wooded valleys, &c. The weather was uniformly 

 cloudy, misty, and rainy ; but the showers were never excessive, 

 and only 6 inches fell, or one-half less than at Darjiling. The 

 trees in flower are generally of the same genera as flowered at 

 9000 to 10,000 feet last month, and the species are in many 

 instances the same, as Pyri, birch, one oak, willow, a maple, 

 holly (forming a bush) ; Abies Webhiana cones are a splendid 

 liurple, those of the larch red brown, and of P. Smithiana green ; 

 junipers form beriies. A wliite cherry, Loniceras, Syniplocos, 

 and Pieris, are the chief flowering trees. Of shrubs there are 

 other Loniceras, Potentillas, Rhododendrons, Araliacece, 2 cur- 

 rants, willows, Andromeda, Gualtlieria. Primroses are the 

 glories of the herbaceous vegetation, appearing in profusion, 

 yellow, white, and purple ; beautiful anemones and ranunculi 

 flower, with Thalictra, some Berberris, a splendid single-flowered 

 3Iecnopsis, several Cruciferce, Tamarix (creeping), Sibbaldice, 

 Fritillaria, Orobunche, small Paris and Trillium, Pinguicula, 

 Parnassia, Allium, Morina, Ophiopogon, the great Rheum, 

 Junciis, and Luzula. Rhododendrons many. 



Upper Zone. — Towards the end of this month the grass is well 

 grown in the valleys, at 13,000 to 16,000 feet, and the cattle 

 aie driven up to the grazing grounds. A few plants flower 

 above 15,000 feet, as Anemone, Primida, Astragalus, Par- 

 nassia, and Picrorhiga teeta. 



July. — Mean temperature 61'4° ; of maxima and minima 6o'5° 

 • — 57'3° ; extremes 70° — 56°. Extremes of radiation, solar 130°, 

 terrest. 3'52°. Extreme differences, solar Q2°, terrest. 3'5°. Mean 

 daily range of temperature 8°. Dew-point 60*7°. Saturation 

 0"97°. Rain-fall 25"336 inches (mean of 5 years, maximum 

 33, minimum 17-915). In 1848, 21-605 inches fell ; it rained 

 every (ay but one, 12'22 inches per day, and 9"23o between 



