OBSERVATIONS ON HIMALAYAN CONIFERS. 



239 



Danpoor and Joohar, along the snowy groups of Nunda Devee 

 and Nunda Kot ; nor were Bhotiyas of Milum, accustomed to 

 traverse the mountains, able to recognise the cones or dried 

 specimens. Natives of Budhan have assured me that, with 

 Pinus excelsa, it is indigenous on Rikholee Goodree, and about 

 Kunol, near Ramree, but the nearest point to Kumaoon, where 

 credible (European) testimony vouches its presence, is the de- 

 scent from the Pilgwenta Pass, Pilcoonta hill of the map. to 

 Josheemuth, where Lieut. R. Strachey and myself found it at 

 8,000 to 9,500 feet, mixed with Picea Pindrow. Capt. Raper 

 (As. Res., xi. 518, 547) found it abundantly in the same district, 

 under the name Realla ; as did Dr. Jameson and Lieut. Strachey 

 in the valley of the Dhoulee, between Mularee and Bumpa. 



Below Josheemuth, I observed it on the mountains above 

 Helung and Punkheemuth, on the south side of the Uluknunda ; 

 and above Josheemuth it is common on the heights and crags 

 which form the tremendous defile of the Vishnoo Gunga, de- 

 scending to the level of that river, near Lambugur. at about 

 7,000 feet. The people of all this part of Gurhwal confound it 

 with Abies Pindrow under the common term " Ragha :" this 

 name is given by Dr. Wallich, Plantee Asiat. Rar. iii. 24. 



Dr. HorTmeister first met it under the names Rai, Raisulla. 

 on the spurs of Toongnath (where, however, I did not observe 

 any) ; and onward, opposite Reital, on the Bhagiruthee. he 

 found it descend to 6,500 feet, at which level indeed, but only in 

 the most cool and shady spots, a few small specimens may be 

 observed near Kymthoo (Annadale), north of Simlah. Dr. H. 

 fixes 10.000 feet as the upper limit, and describes the tree as 

 growing on the Harung Pass, 500 feet above the Pitidrow, 

 which seems an exception to the general rule. Mr. AYinter- 

 bottom informs me that it is common (above the cedar forests) 

 with Picea Pindrow and P'nius excelsa, on the mountains of 

 Kashmeer, beyond which it stretches to Gilgit and Chugur Serai ; 

 we have no evidence of its existence further north. 



Abies Smithiana is known to the people of Rol, near the 

 Shatool Pass, as " Bhooj-rai" and to those of the Roopin valley as 

 " JBung-rai ;" in Joobul it is called Row, Koodrow, Iiaondrow, 

 probably the Khutrow of Dr. Royle, all denoting the " prickly 

 fir." Kundrow is also applied in Joobul to Picea Pindrow, 

 the more correct local name of which, ' ; CkUrow," is then trans- 

 ferred to Abies Smithiana, as " Khurok" is in Koonawur. 

 Multce terricolis lingua?, coelestibus una : the Babylonian con- 

 fusion of the Vernacular may reconcile mortals to the unity, 

 however hard, or sometimes barbarous and pedantic, of the 

 botanist. The difficulty is older than the time of Pliny, who 

 was as much puzzled to identify the Greek as we are the Hima- 



vol. v. s 



