4 THE FLORA OF MOUNT OPHIR 



the top is a very large rock with one side quite precipitous. At 

 the base of it is a small spring. This is the old camping ground 

 of the earlier explorers, Wallace and Griffith but it is seldom 

 used now as the water supply is very limited. The extreme top 

 is of no great size, in fact a very small space surrounded by 

 stunted shrubs, Rhododendrons crimson and white, Annesloea, 

 the biggest tree up here, Bhodamnia, etc. with pitcher plants 

 scrambling over the bushes and in the damper more sheltered 

 spots, below the top on the north side grow Habenaria, Burmannia, 

 Sonerila and other herbs in dense deep wet moss. I was unable 

 to collect the mosses satisfactorily on either of my visits as most 

 were not then fruiting, and those that were collected have not 

 yet been identified. Two mosses here however are very attrac- 

 tive and merit special mention. One is the very pretty Hypnod- 

 endron arborescens, with a slender stem from which spread out 

 two or three whorls of golden green branches some distance 

 apart, the whole looking like a toy tree. It occurs in many 

 parts of the range and is indeed to be met with all over the hill 

 ranges of the peninsula. The other is Pogonatum macrophyllwu 

 a tall stemmed moss 6 inches high covered with close narrow 

 blackish green leaves. 



Animal ■ life is by no means common above Padang Batu. 

 I saw tracks and dung of a tiger at the flat rock on the top of 

 Gunong Tunduk, and I have also seen the footprints of a good 

 sized deer on the highest point of Gunong Ledang, but no signs 

 of other Mammals. Elephants were formerly common in the 

 lower woods (Braddell in Logan's Journal vii. 1853 p. 85) and it is 

 said that the wild dog was abundant here but it is probable that 

 this animal has disappeared of late years as the elephants certain- 

 ly have. Birds are scarce also, swallows, a small tailor bird 

 (Orthotomvs) and a few others are all I have seen. I captured 

 a small brown frog in the stream and caught a glimpse of a 

 lizard's tail disappearing in the long grass. Butterflies are few 

 and chiefly belong to common lowland species. Beetles are not 

 very abundant. The big stag beetle Odontolabris Gazella may 

 be met with, and I have also obtained a single example of a 

 small but very beautiful blue Buprestis, and a number of very 

 small brown chafers. A large black wasp with a yellow band 

 across its body, somewhat resembling the common Vespa cincta. 



