ies; also a magnificent Lobelia, appa- 
tently intermediate between L. nicotiane- 
folia, and L. excelsa, but not in a good 
| state for preservation. On leaving this 
= green spot, we entered a deep and dark 
= wood, forming a belt. of uncertain length, 
| — but nearly a mile in breadth, composed of 
. agreat variety of stately trees, mixed with 
many smaller ones, and under-shrubs of 
every description. Among the herbaceous 
plants, growing under the shade, is the 
Cardamom and several other species of 
Scitaminee, a great variety of Arums, some 
of them very handsome, two or three species 
of Ind i| P 
y y, , M gl ] y curious 
Orchidee, one of which grows like a moss 
on the moist rocks, a shrubby Chloranthus 
in great abundance, and several Ferns. The 
trees I am not so well prepared to specify, 
as they were difficult to get at, and required 
more time than could be spared; but I 
obtained specimens of one or two Anno- 
nacee, and of a variety of shrubby as well 
SL herbaceous Rubiacee. I picked up one 
.. 9r two of the fruit of a very large Nut- 
|  meg-re, much resembling (in fruit) 
the aromatic nutmeg, both in size and in 
the kind of mace which covers the nut. To 
. have got specimens of the tree, we must 
= have cut it down, which would have been 
. weeks work. I protracted my stay in 
_ this forest to the utmost, both in ascending 
=, ‘nd descending, and then left it with 
. Tegret, wishing that I could have devoted 
‘month to the examination of the plants 
‘wing on this spot, and satisfied that I 
should still have left much for future in- 
Vesügators. On quitting the forest, the hill 
ix: than those ofthe plain. About twelve, we 
: Mied the first halting place, familiarly 
_ Known by the name of Hatfield’s Peak, 
p. from a gentleman of that name who had 
E which indicated a height 
about 3,600 feet above the sea, and 
Some rough trigonometrical experi- 
ms to determine the heights of neigh- 
BOTANICAL EXCURSION IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF COURTALLAM. 
329 
bouring peaks. In the mean time I occupied 
myself in examining the Flora, and was 
fortunate in adding a few good plants to my 
collections, among the most interesting of 
which was one agreeing in habit with 
Crassula, but differing in the flower; a 
Euphorbiaceous shrub, apparently a new 
genus; a most beautiful Phillyrea ? but 
not in fruit; and an Acacia? certainly 
new to me, but neither in flower nor fruit. 
At this height, we met with many young 
plants of Caryota urens, but none of con- 
siderable size, which surprised me. Here 
the Bentinckia abounds, setting at defiance 
the almost hurricane blasts that sweep the 
hills at this season, rising above all the 
plants by which it is surrounded, and pro- 
ducing and ripening its panicles of shining, 
black, desirable-looking, but most austere 
berries, in as great profusion as in the 
most sheltered valley. The Euphorbiaceous 
plant is characterized by a large 5-parted 
calyx, 5 minute petals, attached to the 
inner edge of a large cup-shaped torus. 
Male flowers ; stamens 5, the filaments 
embracing a sterile 3-cleft style: Female 
flowers ; stamens 0, styles 3, the stigmas 
2-cleft, ovary closely embraced at the base 
by the forus, 3-celled, with 2 pendulous 
ovules in each, without the interposition of 
a carunculus as in Savia? It is a small 
shrub with alternate leaves and flow- 
ers on a rather long thick peduncle, like 
those of Erythroxylon. Should an exami- 
nation of the fruit prove this to be a new 
genus, I propose calling it Macroclinia on 
account of its peculiar torus. On the most 
exposed part of a narrow ridge leading to 
Hatfield's Peak, we came upon the lair of 
a wild hog. It resembled a hay stack in. 
miniature, made up of tufts of grass heaped 
one above another, and apparently brought 
from some distance, as there was no m 
of the grass being dug round the place. . 
These tufts were so nicely adjusted as to 
bid defiance to the wind, which for months 
at this season blows almost a hurricane at 
this place. It was not however proof against 
the ruthless hands of man, for it was 
speedily broken into in search of pigs; but 
none were found. Leaving two of my 
