336 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
They burst suddenly into full chorus, with a voice so harshly croaking, 
so dissonant, and so unearthly, that in these solitary forests I could 
not help being startled.* In general character the note was very 
similar to that of other Cicade. They ceased as suddenly as they com- 
menced. Enormous earth-worms and myriads of leeches were the 
other animalia that most struck me. 
y things having not yet come up, I was detained another night at 
Punkabarrie, which, in the constant rain, was far from agreeable. On 
the following morning they did arrive, and, leaving my Palkee, I took 
to a pony kindly sent for me by Mr. Hodgson. 
A very steep ascent, of 3,000 feet or so, commences at Punkabarrie, 
the road winding along the face of a steep, richly wooded, hot, 
and sunny valley. Gordonia Wallichii, from its social habit, size, 
straightness of timber, and colour of bark, is still the most attrac- 
tive tree. The road zigzags extraordinarily in and out of the innume- 
rable lateral ravines, each with its water-course, dense jungle, and 
legion of leeches. I picked twenty off my legs ,before I was ten 
minutes collecting in one of them ; their bite gives no pain, but is fol- 
lowed by considerable effusion of blood. They puncture through thick 
worsted stockings, and even duck trousers, and, when full, roll in the 
form of a little tough ball into the bottom of the shoe, where their 
presence is hardly felt in walking. 
(To be continued.) 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
Elevation of the great Table Land of Thibet. 
When Dr. Hooker set out upon his journey to investigate the botany 
and the physical character of the eastern extremity of the vast Hima- 
laya range, Baron Humboldt was so good as to address a letter to him 
on certain objects which it was especially desirable he should keep in 
view. He there writes :— 
* Que je suis heureux d'apprendre que vous allez pénétrer dans ces 
belles vallées de 'Himalaya, et méme au-delà, vers Ladak et les pla- 
teauz de Thibet, dont la hauteur moyenne, non confondue avec celles des 
* I hear from Hodgson that this may be a tree-frog ; but the question is still open ; 
and in either case the animal is probably undescribed, for nobody can catch it! 
