470 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



bamboo. The place was infested with leeches, which fastened on- 

 to my legs in numbers and left uncomfortable sores. 



Bongli. — Situated about eight miles from Sedonchen at an 

 altitude of 2,700 feet. Here the valley broadens out and cultiva- 

 tion becomes more general, a fair quantity of rice being grown on 

 low lying ground. Dense tropical forest clothes the vallej^ and 

 hillsides, the change being marked on the road down by the- 

 appearance of figs, tree-ferns, bananas, groves o± orange trees and 

 the cultivation of cardamoms. 



Bihchu. — A village 13 miles north-M'est from Gangtok at an 

 elevation of 2,000 feet, situated at the junction of the Dikchu 

 stream with the Tista, where both valleys narrow almost to gorges. 

 The surrounding slopes are steep and clothed with dense tropical 

 forest. Figs abound, as also do bananas, growing in large patches 

 and in such profusion that other vegetation of any size is 

 excluded. On the hill sides tree-ferns are to be seen, and dense 

 undergrowth contains Cjuantities of very large leafed and virulent 

 nettles the sting from which is very painful and imparts an irritation 

 lasting for several days. Orange trees are cultivated here and yield 

 a plentiful supply of excellent fruit. 



Sine/Ml: (or Singtam). — A village ten miles north from Dikchu,. 

 the valley near Singhik makes a sweep to the east and opens out 

 into a beautiful broad expanse which admits of a fairly extensive 

 cultivation of rice. The tropical forest bordering the river mingles 

 with that of the more temperate zones on the upper slopes. I 

 noticed bamboo, plantain and various palms, fig, birch, walnut, tree- 

 ferns, nettles, and wild strawberries, the last growing in profusion. 

 Mica schists appear here in large quantities, the soft powdered soil 

 on the road showing a big proportion of glittering particles. 



Ringni. — Is situated at 6,000 feet on one of the hills to the east 

 and facing Singhik. 



Ohuntang. — At an altitude of 5,350 feet and 14 miles north-east 

 by road from Singhik, this small village is situated at the junction 

 of the Lachen and Lachung streams. The Lachen is here confined 

 for about 50 yards by massive walls of solid rock only a few yards 

 apart, through which the torrent rushes with incredible force. A 

 very marked change occurs in the flora at Ohuntang, a phenomenon 

 which has been recorded by Sir J. Hooker in his " Himalayan 

 Journals " as follows : — 



" There is a great difference between the vegetation of Darjee- 

 ling and that of similar elevations near Chungtam, situated far 

 within the Himalaya ; this owing to the steepness and dryness of 

 the latter locality, where there is an abundance of dense forest 

 which is replaced by a number of social grasses clothing the moun- 

 tain sides, many new and beautiful kinds of rhododendrons and a 

 variety of European genera, which are either wholly absent from 

 the damp ra7iges of Darjeeling or found there several thousand feet 



