ENTRANCE OF THE PASS. 



331 



are a few small villages around, all of the same kucha or temporary 

 construction, together with some remains of cotton, which in these 

 parts is perennial. 



There are no wild trees to be found, excepting perhaps an elegant 

 species of willow. The vegetation of the fields is highly interesting, 

 consisting of many European forms, similar to those at Nowshera 

 — A vena, Phleum, Polygonium, Zanthoxyloid, Erodium ! Anagallis 

 in abundance, Plantago, Pecagee, Cynodon two species, Andropogon, 

 Melilotus, Medicago, Boraginea, Malva, Tetragonolotus, Astraga- 

 loides, Sperguloides, Cruciferee. 



In the bed of the river Nerium, Paederioides, Crotalaria, etc, of which 

 the former is common every where : Fagonia, Viola found in the bed of 

 the river crossed en route hither, a very curious plant. Antirrhenoid 

 was brought from the hills by Capt. Sanders, singular in the inequality 

 of the calyx and the great development of the posticous sepal. 



Altogether this spot is curious in regard to vegetation, for the 

 mean annual temperature must be high, and the winter temperature 

 by no means low enough to account for the appearance presented. 



The only novel birds are a jackdaw, with the voice and manners of 

 the red-billed Himalayan species, and which I have only seen at 

 a distance, and a different sort of Pterocles. 



Wth. — Proceeded to Drubbee, eight miles from Dadur, and about 

 three within the range of hills, the plain towards which is rather 

 elevated, and generally covered with boulders and shingle. The ve- 

 getation of this shingly plain is much the same, Chenopodium Ukko, 

 Salsola, Kureel, Rairoo ; the most common shrubby plant, however, is 

 an elegant Mimosa, much like the Babool, with white thorns ; Nerium 

 oleander is also very common along cuts. 



In some wheat fields I procured Imperata, a new Plantago, and 

 a curious Gnaphalium. The entrance to the pass is gradual ; the 

 hills almost entirely bare. I noticed Rairoo, Salvadora, Kureel. The 

 most novel plant is a curious, erect, bushy, thorny Convolvulus, which 

 is one of the most common plants farther in. The pass to Drubbee 

 is wide, say 300 yards ; the only obstacle exists in the shingle, which 

 renders the road heavy. No abutments are present, jutting out from 

 the hills, the stream is considerable but easily fordable, and abounds 

 with fish, the Mahaseer, and two or three species of Gonorhynchus. 

 The hills about Drubbee are not more than 500 feet high. They 

 are generally of a coarse breccia, the component parts principally 

 limestone ; abundance of nummulites. The chief vegetation of the 



