1834.] Scientific Intelligence. 145 



snow-clad summit of Peerpunjal, is described as being of an oval form, encircled 

 by mountains clothed with vegetation, which are themselves girded by a higher range 

 covered with snow. The level of the valley is of considerable extent, being about 

 60 miles in length, and 40 in breadth ; its elevation is estimated by the late lament- 

 ed traveller M. J a cauEMONT to be 5248 to 5576 feet; he, however, states that 

 the beauty of this valley has been much exaggerated, both by his countryman, Ber- 

 nier, and by Mr. Forster. But there is no doubt that inconsequence of its being 

 copiously watered by numerous streams, lakes, and canals, there is considerable 

 moisture both of soil and climate, and almost constant verdure ; [he knew not of 

 the late famine :] while the numerous gardens, and the great variety of fruit trees, 

 and of beautiful flowers, must always strike visitors from the arid plains of India, 

 whether Europeans or Asiatics, as Abul Fuzl. From the mixed nature of the cul- 

 tivation, the climate must evidently be mild and temperate, for even in the warm- 

 est months of summer, the breezes which descend at night from the mountains are 

 always cool and pleasant : the periodical rains consist of gentle showers, and the 

 snows which fall in winter cannot remain long on the ground. The Flora of Cash- 

 mere has a great resemblance to that of European countries, but the moisture of 

 the climate and its mild temperature in the season of vegetation, causes so great 

 an extension of the herbaceous parts, as well as of the flowers of plants, that many 

 of them rival in luxuriance those of tropical countries." The mildness and mois- 

 ture are indicated by the culture of rice, melons, gourds, and cucumbers. The kidney- 

 bean thrives well — also the egg-plant, capsicum ; marsh-tree mallow, wheat, 

 barley, saffron ; turnip, raddish, beet-root; clover, &c. Of trees, the walnut, aspen, 

 poplar, plane, and willow are named as most common. Fruit trees are so common 

 as to constitute a jungle. 



The author passes under review, also, the valley of Nipal — the several river 

 valleys and passes of the great chain — Kunawar, Bussahir, &c. He even digresses 

 to the Neelgherries of the peninsula, to show that a similarity exists in its vegeta- 

 tion and climate with that of the lower ranges of the northern chain ; but we must 

 now close our imperfect sketch of the contents of this first number, regretting only 

 that we are from our ignorance of the science so little able to select and set before 

 our readers the points which must have the greatest value in the eyes of a Bota- 

 nist. Every Botanist in India will, however, possess the work ; and possessing, 

 prize it. 



2. — Analysis of the Edible Moss of the Eastern Archipelago. By W. B. 

 O'Shaughnessy, M. D. Asst. Surg. H. C. S. 



The third number of that meritorious work, the India Journal of Medical Sci- 

 ence, contains an able analysis of this curious delicacy of the Chinese materia culi- 

 naria, the substance of which we venture to transfer to our pages, as coming 

 properly within the scope, to which the motto on our title page confines, or rather 

 extends, our investigations. 



The edible moss is a small and delicate fucus, of a white colour, and flattened 

 filiform shape. The longest of the separate individuals in the specimens examined 

 by Dr. O'S. did not exceed two inches from the ciliary processes, corresponding 

 to the root, to the extreme of the ramifications, which were not very numerous or 

 regular. Dr. O'S. names it the fucus amylaceus, from its remarkable and impor- 

 tant peculiarity of containing a large proportion of pure starch. 



Digestion in cold water for 24 hours separated a portion of gum, and the soluble 

 alkaline salts : — this branch of the analysis proved it to differ from the Iceland 

 T 



