INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 



239 



During our five months' residence in the Khasia we col- 

 lected 3264 species of flowering-plants and nearly 300 ferns. 

 The following natural orders are noticeable for the number of 

 species they contain ; 



EanunculacesB 



Menispermese 



Magnoliacese 



VitacesB . . 



BalsaminesB . 



TernstroemiacesB 



Aurantiaceea 



Malvaceae 



Byttneriaceae 



Sterculiaces3 



Tiliaceae ^ 



Leguminosee 



EosacejB . . 



Melastomaceae 



MyrtacesB 



Cucurbitaceae 



Umbelliferae . 



AraliaceEe 



Eubiaceae 



CompositsB . 



Myrsineae 



Convolvulacese 



The Naga hills, to the eastward, probably exhibit a very 

 similar vegetation to the Khasia, as their elevation is about the 

 same. They were crossed by Griffith in the month of March, 

 at which season vegetation at considerable elevations is nearly 

 dormant. The greatest height attained by him was 5600 feet. 

 He describes these hills as much more covered with forest than 

 the Khasia,* and states that the southern slopes are moister 

 than those to the north. As the rain-faU must be much less 

 than it is on the southern slope of the Khasia^ the greater 

 amount of forest is probably caused by the diminished vio- 

 * Private Joumala, p. 120. 



