THE MAHADEO HILLS. 83 



regular ascent over shelving rocks and scanty soil, whereon 

 grew a thin forest of the commoner sorts of trees, Salei (Bos- 

 wellia thurifera), Dhaord, (Conocarpus latifolia), and Saj 

 (Pentaptera glabra), being the most numerous species ; the 

 grass and vegetation on these slopes had begun already to 

 assume the yellow tinge of the dry season. Such a prospect 

 as this, which is typical of vast tracts in the jungles of Central 

 India, is sadly disappointing to him who looks for the luxu- 

 riant tropical forest of low-lying equatorial regions. Forests 

 like those of Southern Africa and the littoral countries of Asia, 

 with their close array of giant trunks, dense canopy of vege- 

 tation, impenetrable underwood, gorgeous flowers, and mighty 

 tangled creepers 



" From branch to branch close wreaths of bondage throwing." 



are unknown in these central regions of India ; and their 

 character is rarely approached save in some occasional low 

 moist valley, where the axe of the woodcutter has not pene- 

 trated, and the stagnation of some stream has united with the 

 heat of a close valley in giving to the vegetation a more truly 

 tropical character. Indeed, but for the preponderance of 

 yellows where rich reds and browns should be, and the rare 

 appearance of a palm or other eastern form, most of these low 

 forest tracts might be taken after December for a late autumn 

 scene in a temperate climate. Nothing is more striking 

 than the absence of brilliant flowers, which contrary to 

 popular idea are far more characteristic of temperate than 

 of tropical regions. The PaMs (Butea superba) is almost 

 the only tree in our forests which possesses really bright 

 colouring. 



When an elevation of about 2000 feet (above the sea) had 

 been attained, the character of the scenery began to change. 



Q 2 



