190 On the Flora of Behar and the mountain Parasnath. | No.8, 
and Mr. Edgeworth on the occasions I have alluded to. This cata- 
logue contains several important identifications of little known and 
difficult species which it would have been impossible to make without 
a reference to the Royal Herbarium at Kew. 
The dry and hot region of Behar is covered in many parts with 
rather a thick forest which always acquires more luxuriance in the 
vicinity of the hills with which the country is studded. In some 
parts, the vegetation loses its arborescent character and near the 
Grand Trunk Road, in many places, patches of land of considerable 
extent are covered with numerous species of grasses. In other parts, 
especially where the hills are low and less numerous, the trees are 
scattered over the face of the country giving a park-like appearance 
to the scenery. ‘These trees belong principally to umbrageous, full 
foliaged species, among which the commonest are Bassia latifolia, 
Semecarpus Anacardium, Terminalia and two species of Urostigma. 
The botanical features of the country from Raneegunge to Paras- 
nath are deserving of a more detailed description. 
On the dry sandstone rocks, common near Raneegunge, the dwarf 
palm, Pheniax acaulis, is frequently seen. Along the roadsides, a dusty 
avenue of stunted trees of Acacia Furnesiana, with Parkinsonia aculeata 
extends for some miles. Phenix syvlestris is almost the only tree 
growing spontaneously in the level uninteresting country about 
Raneegunge. Tanks, banked up by high bunds of earth covered with 
thickly planted trees of Borassus flabelliformis, (the Palmyra palm) 
occur near every group of huts. These tanks during many months 
of the year are nearly dry, but they all contain a large number of 
interesting aquatic plants, the commonest among which are Ipomea 
reptans, Pow. Hydrilla dentata, Casp. Vallisneria spiralis, Linn. 
Otielia alismoides, DC. and several species of Potamageton, all cos- 
mopolitan. Sopubia delphinifolia, G. Don, Adenosma triflora, N. ab 
E. Hygrophila salicifolia, N. ab H. and A. spinosa, T. Anders. and 
the aquatic fern Cerafopteris thalictroides are seldom absent from 
the muddy margins of these tanks. Near the bungalow at Asinsole, 
we observed in November several fields covered with the orange- 
coloured flowers of Guizotia oleifera, cultivated for its oil-yielding 
seeds. Between Raneegunge and the Barakur, no spontaneous ar- 
borescent vegetation occurs, at least near the Grand Trunk Road, 
but bushes of Zizyphus, Combretum nanum, Ham. and a subscandent 
