408 Observations made on a Botanical Excursion. [Oct. 



At 7 p. m. a tempest which had been gathering from the S. W. 

 broke over Shahgunge, the lightning was very vivid, and the violence of 

 the wind great. No rain fell, nor did the barometer indicate its 

 approach. The day had been very close and sultry. 



A columnar Euphorbia, (E. ligulata ?) is commonly used here as a 

 fencing, its pith is septate, a curious character, generally supposed to be 

 peculiar to the pith of the Walnut tree. This is a matter of some interest, 

 a fossil plant of the coal formation having been refered to the family of 

 the Walnuts solely from its presenting this character. 



One of the prettiest optical phenomena I have witnessed is fre- 

 quent in the clear skies of these elevated regions : that of the false 

 sunrise and sunset, often consisting of beams converging from the 

 opposite horizon and meeting at the zenith the direct sun's rays. I 

 have seen it equally vivid against a pure blue sky and against dark 

 lowering clouds. The zodiacal light also shines with peculiar bright- 

 ness, almost outshining the milky way at times. 



From the few days' observations taken on the Kymaon hills the tem- 

 perature of their flat tops may be regarded as 5° higher than that of 

 the valley, which is 500 feet below their mean level. I can account for 

 this anomally only on the supposition that the thick bed of alluvium, 

 freely exposed to the sun and not clothed with jungle, absorbs the sun's 

 rays and parts with its heat slowly. This is indicated by the increase 

 of temperature being due to the night and morning observations, which 

 are 3°.l and 8°. 5 higher here than below, whilst the two of 9 a. m. 

 and 3 p. m. are half a degree lower. What little alluvium there is on 

 the Soane banks along its upper course is covered with jungle, thus 

 excluding the solar rays, whilst the disproportionate amount of sterile 

 rock rapidly parts with its heat and reduces the nocturnal temperatures. 

 The vastly superior vegetation, both arboreous and herbaceous, of the 

 Kymaon hills, is conclusive in favor of their superior soil and climate. 



