INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 177 





000 feet bv Mr 



of Bishnath, in Upper Assam, which is inhabited by a race 

 called Duphlas. He collected some Ferns, and especially seeds 



ons, of which an 

 Hooker's Journal 



Mr 



botany of the district, and in his f Itinerary Notes' and jour- 

 nals we have a mass of important information regarding the 

 general features of the vegetation, together with a great deal 

 of detail which will become valuable as soon as the species 

 are determined. 



The climate of Bhotan seems to be very equable, and the 

 humidity of the winter months appears to increase to the 

 eastward. We do not, however, possess any records of tem- 

 perature or humidity, and our inferences regarding the cli- 

 mate are drawn from the vegetation only. The steepness with 

 which the mountains rise, and the influence of the elevated 

 mass of the Khasia to the south, make the lower mountains 

 which skirt the plains of Assam, between the Godada and the 

 Monas, drier than those nearer Sikkim. which are exnosed to 



full 



rivers carry a t 



Bhotan . amon 



mountains 



These attract 



much of the moisture 



:ry where 



dry and bare of forest, which only begi 

 elevation, except in ravines. The outer ranges, too (except 

 near Sikkim), even above this level are only partially wooded, 

 the trees being arranged in clumps, among which are inter- 

 spersed open grassy glades, which are compared by Griffith to 

 those of Khasia ; Oaks and Rhododendrons being extremely 



abundant. 



On the northern face of the range which separates the Mo- 

 nas valley from Assam, Pines make their appearance, the first 



inus longifolia 



2 a 



