100 BOTANY. 



hurried visit. It is much to be regretted, tliat his ulterior 

 plans did not adnait of his making a longer stay, as he 

 found much to interest him, and we had reason to expect 

 some valuable information, on the capabilities of the hills, 

 from this talented individual, who, to a profound know- 

 ledge of the technioology of Botany, unites an intimate ac- 

 quaintance with the practical application of the science to 

 Horticulture, and all other useful purposes. 



"Having been only a few weeks on the Neilgherry Hills, 

 although during that time I traversed them in all directions, 

 1 should not be able to give an account of the hill country I 

 have explored, without the kindness of the Rev. B. Schmid, 

 who, having resided at Ootacamund a long time, has put his 

 Herbarium at my disposal. Unfortunately, the greatest part 

 of the plants being new, or described only of late, more time 

 and books would have been required than a traveller pos- 

 sesses, in order to pronounce on their species, without the 

 risk of exposing myself. The following pages contain there- 

 fore only general remarks on the vegetation, and families of 

 plants : 



" In every part of the globe, the vegetation, considered as 

 a ' tout ensemble,' has its peculiar characters, or, as I would 

 say, physiognomy, which usually changes only at great 

 intervals, and one part of the features of which forms a 

 portion of the physiognomy of the next. Thus we see some 

 species, remarkable for their size, even in Norway, and in the 

 uttermost northern boundaries of vegetation, form a part of 

 that of the centre of Europe ; whilst the plants, which most 

 frequently inhabit these woods, are found in the north of 

 Italy, and some of them even both in Italy and in Sicily, 

 countries which, notwithstanding, differ from each other in- 

 finitely in their physiognomy. 



