254 CLIMATE OF HIMALAYA. 



idea of the general appearance of the phenomena of vegetable 

 life. 



The hill station of Darjiling is distant fi-om the plains of 

 Bengal a little more than 36 miles, the road following a ridge 

 which ascends in the first 13 miles rapidly to about 7000 feet, 

 and then runs gradually, with little change of level, for the 

 remainder of the way. Throughout the whole distance the 

 mountain sides are lined with dense forests ; except in the early 

 morning, an almost perpetual mist hangs over the trees, which 

 collect and throw down from tiieir foliage an abundant supply 

 of moisture. On emerging from the dry belt of tropical forests, 

 the ascent commences at once up a dry ridge, covered at first 

 with the same species as grow upon the plain, species of Bombax, 

 Terminalia ; Sterculia, Emblica Duabanga, Alstonia, Gmelina, 

 Bauhinia, and others are abundant, with many figs, some species 

 of Artocarpus, and a proportion of Bamboos. By degrees a 

 vegetation characteristic of mountain tracts, but still tropical, 

 takes the place of those just mentioned. A Gordonia is ex- 

 tremely abundant, with numerous euphorbiaceous trees allied to 

 Mappa, various species of Garcinia, the Toon (Cedrela toona or 

 serrata), a variety of mimoseous trees, arboreous species of Ver- 

 nonia and Helicia, beautiful Bauhiniae, both erect and scandent, 

 the latter climbing to the tops of the highest trees with a trunk 

 nearly as thick as a man. The road runs along the top, or on 

 one side of the ridge, looking down into deep valleys full of the 

 densest forest. If we leave the road to enter into these dark and 

 moist hollows, Ave find that there are occasionally small tracts of 

 flat land along the banks of the streams, which, however, more 

 frequently run through deep ravines, clothed with dense thickets 

 of shade-loving trees, species of Laurel, Alder, Magnolia, being 

 mixed with the giant figs, which often form a great part of the 

 forest. In these more shady jilaces the Plantain and Tree-fern 

 luxuriate, and a dense brushwood covers the ground. Not un- 

 frequently large tracts are covered with thickets of Calamus, a 

 prickly palm which attaches itself by long hooked flagelli to the 

 trees, and often presents a formidable barrier to the traveller 

 who tries to penetrate into its recesses. The trunks of these trees 

 are often clothed with a dense mass of Pothos, and of the huge 

 leaved Scindapsus, completely encircling them all round, and 

 converting them into leafy columns, while the wide-spreading 

 branches of the higher trees bear a profusion of Orchidese, which 

 overspread them, even to the very top, and, when in flower, have 

 a most gorgeous effect. 



In shady valleys, as low as 2000 feet, appear the first speci- 

 mens of Oaks and Chestnuts, which in the equable temperature 

 of such places, descend much further on the mountain slopes 



