242 



OBSERVATIONS ON HIMALAYAN CONIFERS. 



it, and found the length 169 feet. The following dimensions in 

 girth at 5 feet from the ground give a general idea of the size 

 attained by Abies Smithiana, and agree with that assigned by 

 Dr. Hoffmeister in Gurhwal, towards Gungotree: 



On Muhasoo, near Simlah. 



Near Nagkunda. 



No. 1 



15* 



feet. 



» 2 



14 



» 



n 3 



13* 





» 4 





5> 



91 5 



16 



JJ 



„ 6 



15 



>> 



M 7 



20 



J5 



„ 8 



19 



55 



„ 9 



14* 



55 



» 10 



19 



J) 



►North-east face of Choor. 



Below Rol villages. 



The unfavourable influence of the southern exposure on vege- 

 tation, noticed pp. 49, 50, is thus confirmed and explained by 

 Baron Hugel, with reference to the valley of Perhamgala, in the 

 Peer Punjal Range ( Travels in Kashmecr, English translation, 

 p. 88). "Strange to say, the south side (aspect?*) of the 

 valley is everywhere wild and dreary, while fine trees grow up 

 to the very summit of the mountain on the north face. The 

 reason may possibly be found in the fact, that on the south side 

 the repeated action of alternate freezing and thawing destroys 

 every kind of vegetation except a few grasses." Erman ( Travels 

 in /Siberia, I. 76, 77), who remarked the same fact in the coldest 

 parts of Siberia, where, at three feet depth, the soil is perpetually 

 frozen, notices the increased luxuriance of the oak on the N. and 

 N.W. aspect of Valdai, and of the walnut and chestnut on the 

 Hartz, adopts the same view: "the true explanation of this 

 phenomenon is, that the vegetation under a northern aspect is so 

 much retarded as to be secured from the danger of night-frosts 

 in spring." This is probable ; but other causes are apparently 

 at work, amongst the chief of which are the hot rays of the sun, 

 and violent winds, of which the first seem especially inimical to 

 the growth of the Coniferce. Bingley notices that, even on the 

 Scottish mountains, P. sylvestris flourishes best on the N. and 

 N.E. sides. It is chiefly the arborescent vegetation, moreover, 

 which is suppressed on the southern face of the Himalaya ; many 



* That Baron Hugel means aspect is confirmed by Mr. Vigne, account 

 of Kashmeer, J. A. S., September, 1837, p. 771. "Those places on which 

 the rays of the morning sun first break are well covered yv'iih jangal ; the 

 whole of the south side of the valley, for instance ; while the north side, 

 which from the height of the mountain range is kept a long time in shadow, 

 is comparatively destitute of trees, but plentifully covered with grass." The 

 fact is much more certain than the reason. 



