170 



JOURNEY TOWARDS ASSAM AND BOOTAN. 



obtained, arid also of the Himalayas in clear weather. Ccelogyne 

 Wallichiana was commencing to flower ; this plant occurs in profusion 

 in some rocky spots about Moflong. The only additional thing I 

 remarked was, that Luculia scarcely reaches the Kala Panee. 



On my return to Churra, a change was observed in the character 

 of the vegetation, all the Tradescanteas had ceased, as well as most 

 of the Impatientes, and Eriocaulons. The grasses had become more 

 withered, and the general tint was brown. No kites (Falco milvus) 

 are to be observed out of Churra. 



The plants which were particularly conspicuous about Churra, 

 were past flowering in the interior ; thus Osbeckia Nepalensis ? was 

 not to be met with in flower in the interior, while it is in profusion 

 about the station. The same may be said of other instances. 



After all Churra presents the richest flora of any other place in 

 the Khasyah hills, because there is a greater extent of wood near it, 

 than is found in any other locality, much greater altitudes and deeper 

 descents in its ravines, and it is as it were the transit point between 

 a tropical or sub- tropical, and a temperate vegetation. I have no 

 doubt, that within a circle of three miles of Churra, 3,000 species 

 might be found in one year. 



The principal plants pointing out the tropical nature of the vege- 

 tation are Pandanus, which is almost limited to the limestone for- 

 mation, on which it is excessively abundant, Chamserops Martiana ? 

 which from its affecting particularly the walls of the amphitheatres 

 so conspicuous about Moosmai, Mamloo and Surureem, and the 

 depths of whose sides is probably at Mamloo 1,000 feet, might have 

 been better named. I have never seen it on any other places. The 

 Alsophila Brunoniana is likewise apparently confined to the limestone 

 hills, while the tree fern, Polypodium, is found on sandstone, as well 

 as Impatiens, Tradescantia, Commelineae, Eriocauloneae, Xyres, al- 

 most all the grasses, Melastomacese, almost all the Leguminosse and 

 the preponderance of tropical Rubiacese, which are, however, few, 

 Scitaminese, Epiphytical Orchidese, Urena Labiata, etc. etc. 



On the 23rd I went to Mamloo, which is about four miles to the 

 west of Churra. To this place the limestone ridge, extending from 

 Churra, nearly approaches : its vegetation is not rich but always 

 stunted : rocky amphitheatres are very remarkable at Mamloo, they 

 are of excessive depth ; their walls being generally perpendicular, often 

 somewhat overhanging. The manner of their formation is now to be 

 seen in the amphitheatre immediately contiguous to the village, al- 

 though it appears to be very slow. It is thus, bodies of water falling 



