1834.] Obesrvations on Botany, ^c, 322 



From the south of the chasm above mentioned, and from the still 

 wider one, between the Shevaroy and Pulney hills, the united 

 rang-es, seem to recommence and continue uninterruptedly to Cape 

 Comorin, forming an irregular triangle, the base of which, in the 

 latitude of Dindigul, is about 60 miles broad, with some of the 

 mountain peaks between 5000 and 6000 feet in height, and covered 

 with the richest and most varied vegetation. 



With this very slight notice of the principal mountain masses 

 of the peninsula, we must for want of room, rest contented, remark- 

 ing however, that we could not pass them over in silence, owing to 

 the great influence mountains exert over the climnte and vegetation 

 of a country: subjects in themselves worthy of being fully dis- 

 cussed, but to which we can only refer incidentally in this article. 



The plains of Seharunpore, the station occupied by Mr. Royle, 

 in 300 north, are elevated 1000 feet above the sea. These with the 

 lower external ranges of the Himalayas, which rise from them, 

 though so far beyond the tropic, enjoy during one half of the year 

 a tropical climate and vegetation, (herbacious) during the other half, 

 one nearly European ; admitting also of two crops in the year, one 

 tropical, consisting of rice &c. the other European consisting of 

 wheat, oats, &c. Tropical trees, and herbacious tropical perennials 

 that die down to the root in winter, are in bloom during the hot 

 season, when the Thermometer rises to 100*^: and during the 

 cool season, when the thermometer falls as low as 37 European 

 forms apparently incompatable with the flora of the country make 

 their appearance. During this season the cold is so great as occa- 

 sionally to destroy tropical trees, and the Mango when young 

 requires to be protected. Notwithstanding this great degree of 

 cold, most of the tropical plants enumerated as giving a character 

 to the flora of that part of India, are found scattered through the 

 Carnatic, and many of the European forms are natives of the Neel- 

 gherries. Hence we think it probable, that the Floras of Bengal 

 and the Peninsula are nearly the same. It is truly interesting, thus 

 to contemplate a flora, extending through nearly 30^ of latitude: 

 a fact we believe unknown in any other part of the world, ^^'lth 

 respect to longitude, it is more confined, the flora of Malabar as 

 compared with that of Coromandel, producing a greater minibcr ot 

 distinct forms than that of Delhi. To the eastward again wo l)e- 

 lieve it is equally distinct, a few plants only being common to both 

 countries. One of the few tropical trees common in ihc north ami 

 not jet met with in the south, is the Said, C Shorca robusta) a 



