VI PREFACE. 



along the foot of the Suliman range ; and eastward the territory is hounded 

 by a broken line, which follows the Nepal frontier, first along the Sarda 

 or Kah river, and afterwards parallel with the foot of the Himalaya, until 

 it touches the great Gandak river. From that point, a straight line 

 drawn in a south-south-westerly direction through Benares to Amerkantak 

 and Bilaspur, may be regarded as the eastern boundary. Between the 

 British territory of the Panjab and the ISTorth-West Provinces in the north, 

 and the Central Provinces in the south, intervene the large and important 

 native States of Eajputana, Malwa, and Bandelkhand; and as the arbores- 

 cent vegetation of these States is very similar to that of the surrounding 

 British territory, they have been included, as far as possible. Por these 

 districts my materials were scanty. It is much to be desired that the 

 results of Dr George King's botanical exploration of this country may 

 soon be published, and thus supply the deficiencies of this work in that 

 respect. Most of the trees and shrubs of Sindh, and of the forest tracts of 

 Guzerat, in the vicinity of the Mhye river, and south as far as the Man- 

 devi forests on the right bank of the Tapti, are noticed. 



The northernmost point is the head of the Kaghan valley, drained by a 

 tributary of the Jhelam, in lat. 35°; and the forest tracts furthest west are 

 the Belas, along the Indus in Sindh, in long. 68°. 



It would be too large a subject were I to give a detailed account of the 

 climatic conditions which influence the forest vegetation of this large 

 territory. It must suffice to state that the following great climatic zones 

 are included : First, The entire arid region of India, with a scanty and 

 uncertain rainfall, and an atmosphere dry nearly throughout the year 

 (South Panjab, Sindh, the States of Bhawalpur, Kairpur, Bikanir, 

 Jessulmir, and the greater part of Marwur). Second, The entire northern 

 dry zone, surrounding the arid region on the north and east, forming a 

 belt from 100 to 200 miles wide, with a normal annual rainfall between 

 15 and 30 inches, which includes the plains of north and north-east Pan- 

 jab, outside the sub-Himalayan tract, Delhi, Ajmir, Gwalior ; and of the 

 Eajputana States, Bhurtpur, Jeypur, and Meywar. Third, The western 

 end of the north-eastern moist zone, with a heavy monsoon and an annual 

 rainfall exceeding 60 inches, which comprises the Burma coast, Bengal, 

 the sub- Himalayan tract, and the outer ranges. That portion of this 

 moist zone which extends into the territory of this Flora is a narrow 

 belt, probably nowhere more than 30 miles wide, narrowing gradually 

 towards the north-west, and terminating at the liavi. It includes part of 

 the Gorakhpur and the northern Oudh forests, the Siwalik tract, the 

 Uoons, and the outer ranges of the north-west Himalaya. Fourth, A 

 portion of the large intermediate region, which comprises the whole of 

 Central and a large portion of the plains of North India, as well as the 

 intermediate Himalaya, whic^ '" oitnof^ri v,ofr.roor> n^a rv^for. ^.o^..^,,,, tv,-,;,,!; 



