126 CLIMATE A^'D VEGETATION OF 



nisa, Kvenigia, 6 potentillas, Anaphalis, Serratula, and many 

 grasses, caiices, and Junci. 



September. — Mean temperature (7000 feet) 60° ; of maxima 

 64*7, and minima 55*2 ; of daily range 9'5°. Sunic thermo- 

 meter 60°. Extremes of temperature 7U° and 51-5° ; of radiat- 

 ing- thermometers — solar 142°, terrestrial 475°. Extreme dif- 

 ferences — solar 70°, terrestrial 10°. Mean dew-point 58.5° ; 

 saturation 0*95°. Rain 15*762 inches (mean of four years 

 20-375 and 13,410). In 1849 15-675 inches fell, 3-621 by 

 day, and 12-054 by night. It rained all the month except on 

 5 days, but most frequently at night. The first fortnight of this 

 month is usually a continuation of the August humid weather, 

 when it holds up for a week or so previous to the equinox, which 

 is ushered in by violent electric disturbances and heavy gales. 



The most prominent botanical feature of the month is the 

 abundance of LahiatcE, especially Plectranthi, ElsJiolsia, Cra- 

 niotome, Colquhounia, Prunella, Ajitga, Scutellaria, Nepeta, 

 and Melissa ; and graphaloid compositge, especially species of 

 Anaphalis, Mhiten the ground in some places. Oshechia is in 

 full bloom, with white and shrubby polygonums. Many Urticece 

 flower, but they are insignificant green plants. March and 

 April flowering species are generally in seed. Acanthaceee, of 

 which there are very few, flower. 



In the garden the vegetables are, besides those of August, 

 more cruciferce, as kohl-rabi and savoys, with tomatoes and 

 capsicums. Peas and beans are sowed for early crops, with 

 cabbage, turnip, beet, radishes, and spring crops of all kinds. 

 Peaches redden and fall oflT the trees without ripening. Straw- 

 berry-beds are cleaned and ruimers planted ; rose-cuttings made. 

 Rice and other cerealia are cut at 4500 feet, but not higher. 



Second, or Middle Zone. — I passed the latter part of August 

 and beginning of this month at 11,000 feet, considerably north 

 of Kiiichinjunga, in a very moist valley, with patches of snow 

 in gulleys at 12,000 feet, where, however, the rain-fall was less 

 than half that at Darjiling. From the 8th to the end of the 

 month I camped at 15,400 feet, and experienced only 1-67 

 inches, whilst 9-993 fell at Darjiling. A good deal of this m as 

 in the form of snow, which lay for several days at 16,000 feet, 

 as early as the 9th. At the equinox the snow lay three days 

 around my tent, but melted again. In the more southern parts 

 of Sikkim (in the position of P on the woodcut) the September 

 snow-fall sometimes lies till the following April or May. The 

 weather was constantly misty and foggy at my position, but 

 was always clear though cloudy when I went into Tibet. U'liis 

 is a fruiting month everywhere above 13,000 feet; the barley and 

 Fagopyrum crops are cut, and turnips and radishes gathered ; 



