1849.] The Turaee and Outer Mountains of Kumaoon. 621 



shafts (sura) furnished by the latter : the weapon, therefore, preceded 

 the luxury. The Sat or Kilk reed-pen is the culm of Saccharum fus- 

 cum, not S. Semidecumbens. 



Arundo ? Khyla. This reed is very common in Gurhwal, where also 

 it is considered poisonous to cattle, and has the name of " Bichhra." 



Imperata cylindrica. " Shiro," ascends to 7500 feet. 



Saccolabium papillosum (Cymbidium prsemorsum of Roxburgh) is 

 the orchid which covers Ulmus integrifolia. 



Plectranthus ternifolia : common in the grass Bhabur, and up the 

 great vallies to 3500 feet. 



Stipularia flaccida, (Arenaria flaccida of Roxburgh, who notes its 

 resemblance to Spergula arvensis,) is abundant in the rubbee cultiva- 

 tion of the Bhabur. 



Albizzia (Acacia) stipulata ; common in the forests of the outer 

 ranges. 



Flemingia strobilifera : open forests of the Bhabur. 



Sephalica, p. 398. Neither Vitex nor Nyctanthes supplying the re- 

 quisite conditions, a final attempt to identify the plant will be admitted. 

 In Ward's View of the Hindoos, Poetry, part 3, Vol. II. 381, we 

 have the following passage in an address to the " Koomoodu, which 

 expands its flowers only in the night." " Thou dost not shew even 

 thy face to the sun, yet thou renouncest not the bee (who lodges in 

 thy bosom all night.") Here, then, is a fact, real or poetical, involving 

 the etymology of the term in question. Now Roxburgh (II. 577,) 

 has Koomooda as the Sanskrit name of Nymphcea Lotus (pubescens) 

 with white flowers, but the synonyme Neelica, as well as the Umur- 

 kosh, quoted by Sir W. Jones, implies that blue is the usual color : 

 " When the Sephalica has white flowers, it is named Swetasurasa and 

 Bhutavesi." {As. Res. IV. 258.) The probability therefore is that 

 Nymphcea cyanea with " flowers beautifully azure," (Sir W. Jones,) or 

 the blue variety of Nelumbium speciosum reported to exist in Cash- 

 meer, is the plant originally intended. Sir William explains Koomooda 

 to signify " Delight of the waters," which, though applicable to any 

 beautiful aquatic plant, he would refer to Menyanthes (Villarsia) indica ; 

 and we find M. cristata with " Koomoodwutee," " Koomoodinee," as 

 its names, in the Flora Indica. The curled petals, and long white fila- 

 ments of the corolla and nectary of these white-flowering plants, are 



