Jan. 1851. BLEEDING STEMS OF CLIMBING PLANTS. 351 



milk of which flows in a continuous stream, resembling 

 caoutchouc (it is probably the Urceola elastica, which 

 yields Indian-rubber). 



The subject of bleeding is involved in great obscurity, 

 and the systematic examination of the motions in the 

 juices of tropical climbers by resident observers, offers a 

 fertile field to the naturalist. I have often remarked 

 that if a climbing stem, in which the circulation is 

 vigorous, be cut across, it bleeds freely from both ends, 

 and most copiously from the lower, if it be turned down- 

 wards ; but that if a truncheon be severed, there will be 

 no flow from either of its extremities. This is the case 

 with all the Indian watery-juiced climbers, at whatever 

 season they may be cut. When, however, the circulation 

 in the plant is feeble, neither end of a simple cut will 

 bleed much, but if a truncheon be taken from it, both the 

 extremities will. 



The ascent of the hills, which are densely wooded, 

 was along spurs, and over knolls of clay ; the rocks were 

 sandy and slaty (dip north-east 60°). The road was good, 

 but always through bamboo jungle, and it wound amongst 

 the low spurs, so that there was no defined crest or 

 top of the pass, which is about 800 feet high. There 

 were no tall palms, tree-ferns, or plantains, no Hymeno- 

 phytta or Zycopodia, and altogether the forest was smaller 

 and poorer in plants than we had expected. The only 

 palms (except a few rattans) were two kinds of Walliclda. 



From the summit we obtained a very extensive and 

 singular view. At our feet was a broad, low, grassy, 

 .alluvial plain, intersected by creeks, bounding a black 

 expanse of mud which (the tide being out) appeared to 

 stretch almost continuously to Sundeep Island, thirty miles 

 distant; while beyond, the blue hills of Tipperah rose on 



