300 



BOOTAN 



Eloeocarpus, Rhus, Gordonia are the most common trees ; Pythonium 

 common, Hoya rotundifolia. Gygoogoo, a small village of two or three 

 houses, was passed. 



May 18M. — Marched to Buxa, ascending from Gygoogoo over a 

 wretched rocky road, winding in and out. No water was to be had 

 until we reached a ridge from which to Buxa is one continued descent. 

 This ridge is between 5 and 6,000 feet, and yet there is scarcely a 

 change in the vegetation. Pythonium abounded, especially P. majus, 

 which literally occurred in profusion. The trees towards the top of 

 the ridge were covered with moss, but all appeared subtropical ; a few 

 chesnuts, E. spinosissima occurred, Bambusa nodosis, verticillatis, and 

 spinosis. 



En route thither, Pholidota imbricata, Thib. loranthiflora, Aralia 

 terebinthacea, Rottleria foliis peltatis, Ranunculus of Taseeling, 

 Meniscum majus, Byttneria ferox, Caladium foliis medio discoloratis 

 saepius atratis, Gnetum, Ixora, Choulmoogra, Phlogacanthi sp., 

 Corisanthes of Sudya, Acer platanifolia, Croton foliis oblongis irre- 

 gularis dentato-lobatis occurred before, between 2,500 to 3,500 feet, 

 Calamus, wild plantains as before, Gordonia, Rhus, Mimosa, Rottleria, 

 Wallichia, Sida cuneata, Tradescantia cordata, ^Eschy nan thus ful- 

 gens, et altera, Tupistra, Lobelia baccifera, Costus, tree-fern, as high 

 as 5,000 feet, Bambusa fasciculata; of birds, the large Bucco. 



At 5,000 feet, Thibaudia serrata, and on this side, as low as 2,500 

 feet, myrtifolia, Gordonia, Pythonium majus and medium, cinna- 

 mon, Piper, Acer platanifolia, Mucuna, Angiopteris, Saurauja ferru- 

 ginea. 



At 5,300 feet, Polygonia pinnatifolia, Hookeria macrophylla, Aralia 

 scandens, etc. as before. 



On descent nothing remarkable, except steepness : same vegetation. 

 Pythonium majus not below 3,000 feet, Guttiferse at 3,000 feet, 

 Acanthacese, Carduaceus 2,800 feet. 



At 2,500 feet, Buchanania undulata, Hyalostemma undulatum, 

 Roydsia. 



What can be the cause of this tropical elevation at such altitudes ? 

 Buxa is hot enough for any tropical plants, as jacks, mangoes, Cactu3, 

 etc. are found in fine order. It is not attributable to a gradual rise, 

 as the ascent from this to 5,500 feet, is excessively steep. It must 

 be owing to local causes modifying the climate : at 5,000 feet on the 

 Dgin route, there are many elevational plants, indeed more than of 

 subtropical. 



