602 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



south and the niicrvciuno' ivuion is drv, and ju(l<,nn(r troni tjie contigura- 



nionsoon from September to December. The siuiimit of the moun- 

 tahi, however, is l)athed in mist and consequently affords an isolated 

 "moist region" vejretation, practically confined to a few acres within 

 100 vertical feet of the stiimnit which it must have reached by leaping 

 at one bound o\er the inierxcning 40 miles of dry lowland tliat separate 

 it from the :\ratalc hills to liie south or over the 280 miles that separate 

 it from the hills of southern India. 



A flora of 144 Howering plants and ferns is found at or near the 

 summit. Of these, 41 belong to the dry re-ion an<l cons(-(,uently have 



103 remaining sj)ecies, 24 have in all i)ro!)al)ility liecn iiurodnced by 

 birds; and 49, of which 24 are ferns or Ivcopods. have evidentlv l)een 

 brought by the ^^ind. Thu- only 3(1 remain ^^ hosc method of intro- 

 duction is doubtful; tliese Dr. Willis <liscuss(>s in detail. 



