1S3G.] Observations on the Flora of Courtallum. 84 



a great facility. And as for the turhidness of the mixture 

 after testing, my informant states that by agitation and 

 sharply shaking, it very soon goes off, and the liquid becomes 

 clear enough for succeeding trials till the point of neutrality 

 is completely obtained. Constant practice no doubt pro- 

 duces facility of manipulation. The French assayers are 

 said to be horrified at the thought of now using an assay 

 furnace. 



II. — Observations on the Flora of Courtallum. — By Robert 

 Wight, m. d. 



( Continued from vol. 2d page 391.^ 



I concluded my preliminary observations on the Flora of 

 Courtallum, with some remarks on the vast variety of vege- 

 table forms which it produces within a very limited space. 

 To enable persons unacquainted with such inquiries to under- 

 stand the subject more clearly, I compared the number of 

 species, estimated, growing on a very small portion of this 

 range, (20 square miles) with the ascertained number of 

 species, indigenous to the whole of the British islands : and 

 showed a preponderance in favour of Courtallum in the pro- 

 portion of nearly 4 to 3. Since that time, I have arranged, 

 and somewhat extended my collections, and find they 

 amount to about 1,200 species ; three-fourths of which, were 

 collected at one season, and in less than three months. Such 

 a result leaves scarcely a moments room for doubt, that in 

 estimating the flora at 2,000 species, I have not overstepped 

 the truth, as but a small portion indeed of these hills are yet 

 explored, and that very imperfectly. From the data now 

 adduced, I am inclined to advance a step further, and assume,, 

 that the Flora of Courtallum within an equal space will be 

 found to equal that of Nepaul, though enjoying a range of 

 climate varying in heat from tropical to arctic. There, 

 within an area of 60 square miles, in the course of one yeai% 

 the collections of that most active and indefatigable botanist 

 Dr. W allien, he estimates, did not exceed 2,500 species : 

 showing I think unequivocally, that so far as yet known, no 



