(^ince tlie appearance, about forty years ago, of Mr. W. Mitten's fundamental 

 work on tlie Mosses of East India '), very little has been publislied concerning 

 tlie liryological flora of thèse regions. 



For a period of about 5 — 6 years, I liave had tlie opportunity of exam- 

 ining some ample collections from différent parts of the Himalaya, sent me 

 by some kind correspondents, flrst by Dr. D. Prain, Curator of the Botanical 

 Museum of Calcutta, and låter on, by Mr. J. F. Duthie, Director of the Forest 

 Department for Northern India, Mr. J. S. Gamble, Conservator of Forests, and 

 Mr. G. A. Gammie, Assistant of Government Cinchona Plantations, besides 

 which Professor Ign. Urban gave me an opportunit}' of examining the most 

 beautiful collections gathered by the late Dr. Wicuuka in Sikkim, and which 

 belong to the Botanical Museum of Berlin. 



In order to meet the wishes expressed by my excellent friend, Mr. J. F. 

 DuTHiE, the indefatigable explorer of the flora of North- Western Himalaya, 

 I have, in this paper, grouped the results of his researches in Kashmii' 

 during the summers of 1892 — 1893, adding also, some new species from 

 Kumaun -). I have been all the more pleased to do so, as this teriitory seems 

 to form one wliole, and differs, in its bryological flora, in a high degree, from 

 the other parts of the Himalaya. Even a cursory view of the list of species 

 will show a total absence of tropical forms, so this territory, with regard to 

 its bryological vegetation, comes nearest to Central Asia and Europe. 



Mr. DuTHiE has been kind enough to give me an account of the charac- 

 teristics of natiu'e within this territory, which I take much pleasure in insert- 

 ing here. 



') Joiirn. of the Proceed. of the Liau. Soc. Suppl. to Botany. Vol. I. Loudon 1859. 

 -) Further détails of these travels are to he found in „Records of the Botauical Siirvey ofindia". 

 Vol. 1, Nos 1 and 3. Calcutta 1893—94. 



