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Observations on the Flora of the Naga Hills, by Mr. J. W. Masters, 



Communicated by the Government of India. 

 To Captain T. Brodie, Principal Assistant Commissioner of Assam. 



Sir, — I have the honor to forward a few observations on the Flora of 

 that part of the Naga hills, through which I had the honor to accom- 

 pany you and Mr. Sub- Assistant Bedford during the last month, with a 

 list of plants met with on the route. These observations, I fear, will be 

 found very meagre ; partly on account of our hurried march, partly on 

 account of the nature of the country, and the season of the year ; but 

 more especially on account of my own ignorance of the subject ; still 

 they may be interesting to some, as they will show that the 500 dif- 

 ferent species here enumerated are found growing on those hills. This 

 is but a small number for so large a breadth of country ; but when we 

 consider that they were all gathered on the line of march, and in a 

 country inhabited by savages, where, had there been time, it would 

 have been neither prudent nor practicable to leave the road to go in 

 search of plants, 500 different species will be acknowledged to be as 

 many as any one individual could expect to gather in the short space 

 of one month. This number does not include all the different kinds of 

 plants which I saw, but it includes the greater part of those from 

 which I gathered specimens ; and I here beg to observe, that I have 

 put down in the list, none but such as I actually saw, and from which 

 I brought away specimens. These specimens will serve for ex- 

 perienced Botanists to examine hereafter. Should you consider these 

 observations to be interesting to Government, may I beg the favor of 

 your forwarding a copy of them, should you have occasion to report on 

 that portion of the frontier. 



I have the honor to be, &c. 



(Signed) J. W. Masters. 



Seebsagur, the 29th March, 1844. 



Botanical Observations made in Upper Assam, during the month of 

 February 1844, while passing over that portion of the first ranges of 

 the Naga Hills, lying between the Dikho and Dhunsiri Rivers. 



The Flora of this portion of the hills resembles, in a great measure, 

 that of the more elevated parts of the plains, especially, as along the 

 uncultivated banks of rivers, and by the numerous little streamlets that 



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