382 Observations made on a Botanical Excursion. [Oct. 



the soil maintained a constant temperature of 71.5°, that of the air vary- 

 ing from 77.5 at 3 p. m. to 62. at sunrise. 



Road to Nourunga highly cultivated, with the Phamix more abundant, 

 and many of the weeds of the cultivated grounds, the analogues of the 

 corn-field plants of England, and in many cases the same genera, and 

 almost universally belonging to the same natural order, as Labiatce, Scro- 

 phularince, Solanece, Leguminosce, and Boraginece, Caryophyllece, Vero- 

 nica, Anagallis and Grajphalium luteo-album ; both the latter very pre- 

 valent European weeds, were abundant, and are amongst the few English 

 plants common to India. The ground in some places was spangled with 

 the blue flowers of the beautiful Exacum tetragonum ? as English upland 

 meadows are often with its ally Gentiana campestris. At 312 mile- 

 stone the elevation of the road from one morning observation is 371 ft. 



At Nourunga I sunk two Thermometers in partial shade of Palms. 

 One at 3 ft. 8 in., the other at 4 ft. 8 in., with the following results : 



Time $• Temp, of Air. Shade, at 3 ft. 8. at 4 ft. 8. Temp, at 3 p. m. 



Feb. 13th, 9 p. m. 60 71.0 71.5. of thesameday 71° 



10 p. m. 60 72.0 72.0. Maxm. of bk. bulb 



14th, 5 a. m. 57 \ 70. 71.5. Thermometer 119°. 



At 5 a. m. I took the temperature of the earth at lesser depths. 



Surface soil, 53 The elevation of Naurunga is 342 feet, and the 



1 Inch. 57 soil bored into, was an excessively tough allu- 



2 „ 58 vium which however seemed to part with 

 4 „ 62 its heat from nocturnal radiation very rapidly. 

 7 „ 64 The three observations at 3 feet 8. and 4 feet 8. 



been served should it lead other travellers and enquirers to group geographical features. 

 A stranger in, India is overwhelmed with local details. In no British possession 

 have I found a community so conversant with the local geography of that whole 

 country, of which each individual can see but little ; none where a new comer may 

 accumulate information so rapidly, so accurately, and I may add without flattery, so 

 pleasantly. But still the broad features are neglected, the dependence and direction 

 of the rivers upon the elevation and disposition of the land, the connection of those 

 with geographical phenomena, of more remarkable simplicity in India than in any 

 similarly extensive country, and the possibility of arranging a knowledge of details by 

 a due regard to the bearings of all these. Very many can indicate with precision the 

 position of an untold number of towns and the mouths of as many rivers, but how 

 few will point the finger to Omer-kuntuk if asked for the fountain-head of all the 

 great cis-Himalayan streams, though these span an area of 10 degrees of latitude 

 and 16 in longitude. 



