1889-90-] ^ District in the Himalayas. 30 1 



dry months, and it rests during the four months of the 

 autumn rains. Several other species of Prunus occur in 

 Gurhwal, but mostly in the upper country, where the autumn 

 rains are less severely felt. The most important of these is 

 the apricot, which ripens its fruit up to a height of 10,000 

 feet, and which is an important article of food in the high 

 hills of Northern Gurhwal. The common wild pear, Pyrus 

 variolosa, is found all over Gurhwal, but the fruit is so harsh 

 that it is little eaten, except by children and bears. The 

 common rose of Gurhwal is the very strongly scented white 

 rose, Eosa moschata, which grows along the banks of every 

 stream, forming dense thickets which are good covert for 

 leopards. Higher up the country, I have found three other 

 species of roses — Eosa sericea, with four white petals ; Eosa 

 Webbiana, a pink flower, climber ; and a red rose, Eosa 

 macrophylla — an unfortunate name, as the leaves are not 

 very large. It should have been called " macrosepala " or 

 " polyphylla." Of brambles, two are mentioned by Hardwick 

 — Eubus ellipticus, with yellow fruit, much eaten by the 

 natives and by European travellers ; and Eubus lasiocarpus, 

 with black fruit, which he calls Eubus idaeus. Many others 

 are found, but these two are by far the most common. Of 

 strawberries, the only one he mentions is one with yellow 

 flowers, and tasteless insipid fruit; but above 8000 feet I 

 found abundance of a white-flowering species, the fruit of 

 which is nearly as good as that of the wild Scotch strawberry. 

 Of leguminous plants, the most conspicuous in Lower 

 Gurhwal is the lovely climber, Pueraria tuberosa, with blue- 

 and-white flowers. Of Compositfe, the General only men- 

 tions four — Leontodon taraxacum, identical with the British 

 dandelion ; Lactuca obtusa, Tragopogon gracile, and a very 

 conspicuous shrub with white flowers, Leucomeris spectabilis, 

 belonging to the Mutisacefe section. These are the common 

 spring composites. If he had visited Gurhwal in autumn, he 

 would have found the country covered with many species of 

 Anaphelis, allied to our Gnaphaliums, but differing in being 

 dioecious, thus resembling the edelweiss of the Alps. The 

 edelweiss has been found in Gurhwal above 12,000 feet, but I 

 never got it. I found, however, at 13,000 feet, another very 

 rare plant, Phagnalon niveum, of which I sent specimens to 



