74 flo'ba indica. 



publication, no pains were spared to render them as perfeet 

 an illustration as possible of the flbra of their several districts. 

 For this purpose aberrant forms and varieties were carefully 

 collected, and a great many specimens were dried of each 

 species. Great attention was paid to the ticketing of the 

 specimens, so as to certify the locality and elevation from 

 which they were obtained. In Sikldm and the Khasia hills 

 500 large specimens of wood were cut ; and Palms, Pandani, 

 Bamboos, tree-ferns, etc., were preserved entire; whilst the 

 flowers and fruits of more than 1000 species were preserved 

 in spirits. Many notes and dissections were also made on 

 the spot ; and we have the further assistance of a series of 

 coloured drawings and dissections (of upwards of 1000 spe- 

 cies) taken by Dr. Hooker from the live plants, and of a valu- 

 able portfolio of upwards of 500 drawings of Sikkim plants, 

 executed at Dorjiling by native artists, imder the superin- 

 tendence and at the expense of our enlightened and lamented 

 friend, the late J. F. Cathcart, Esq. of the Bengal Civil Ser- 

 vice, very much in furtherance of our botanical labours. This 

 has been presented to the Kew ]\Iuseum by the liberality of 

 his sui'viving sister. 



V. Sketch of the Meteorology of India. 



Climate is an extremely important element in the geogra- 

 phical distribution of plants ; and though it is not necessary 

 to dwell at any great length upon the general principles of 

 Meteorology, an outline of these, as they are brought into 

 operation in India, is requisite for the correct understanding 

 of the transitions of vegetation in different parts of that 

 country. The phenomena of climate in a particular area, are 

 well known to depend not only on its latitude, but also on 

 the configuration of its surface and on its position relative to 

 the ocean, upon the direction of the mountain-chains and 

 their elevation above the level of the sea, and upon the 

 course of the ^vinds. Temperature and humidity, the two 



