226 
The work not merely brings to a focus all that it is accurately known 
about the natural vegetation of the Chinese empire; but it has the 
urther convenience of serving as a catalogue of all the species of 
Chinese plants which up to the date of the appearance of each part were 
ih British Masen specimens in the Herbaria of the Royal Gardens and of 
he Britis 
ees progress of the undertaking more — for the 
sul py o d; si gi and admirable material than to Dr. Augustine Henry, 
of the Chinese Dipen Customs. Till 'the mere of the 
present year he was stationed at Ichang on the Yang-tse-Kiang in the 
province of Hupeh, a position almost in the exact centre of China. 
n the following letter Dr. Beaty. gives an interesting account of one 
of his more extended expeditions : 
My DZAR Sir, Ichang, China, 9 October, 1888. 
AVE just returned from my second trip, having been away about 
two-and- half months. I travelled due north from Ichang till I reached 
the range separating the ‘haath of the Yangtze and Han rivers, an 
then I made my way along the range westwards as far as Szechuen, 
striking then the Yangtze on the Hupeh-Szechuen boundary line I 
returned two or three days ago by boat down the rapids. 
lam now busy preparing a set of my collections of both trips, with 
ihose obtained by four natives working separately in three different 
localities. 1 consider it of importance to get these off as soon as possible 
so that they may be put. into the Indes Flore a the Composite, 
for example, will, I think prove, rich in noveltie 
I reached at one point about 10,000 feet altitude and found t 
mountains from 8,000 to 10,000 feet "rich in plants not tiger ot 
The primeval forest still remains in parts, heme sadly eut and burn 
down EY the cultivators of potatoes and the opuim poppy, t thé only € 
grown. Many interesting conifers occur in this zone, one being a tall 
Mir tree, perhaps 100 to 150 feet high, which originally clot ed all 
the top of the range. Four Ribes also occur, one being an excellent 
gooseberry, a Betula, many Acers, curious Rubi, a Fragaria (like 
a), and some pretty Alpine plants. I also found what I take to be 
Diphylleia Grayi, an interesting addition to the Chinese flora. T also 
send many Roses and Viburnums. In these high region y of 
e 
an above 
tate. e mountains round lchang I had hitherto only seen it 
pales and that on a very small scale, vn or two plants in the 
peasants' gardens. So far as I can judge the main source of the 
rhubarb exported to England is the range on which I was ctt 
in its extent from N.W. of Ichang to the nemore of Thibet, along the 
boundary line between Szechuen and Shen 
Huang lien ( Coptis T: ecta, Wall.?) occurs s cultivated. x rude AERE 
about 400 feet by 400 feet is erected on the mountain side (6,000 feet 
to 9,000 feet altitude) composed of trunks and briek of trees driven 
; t mention many other drugs, but with the specimens I shall 
send uk memoranda descriptive of i them, Of Aconitum and Allium 
v 
