NOTES ON A JOURNEY FROM HAVERI TO KUMTA. 
53 
heaviest parts, the monarch of the forest is a mango, and there 
are, near by, great numbers of Caryota urens, Linn., showing great 
variation in the form of the leaflets ; some forming a nearly equilateral 
triangle, others a long narrow wedge ; the prevalence of particular 
forms on certain trees leads one to imagine they are of different 
species, but this impression disappears on further study. Pothos 
scandenSi Linn., in company with a species of Piper^ is abundant on 
the stems of trees here, and the coalescence of the stems of. Termi^ 
nalia tomentosay Bedd. and Lager strosmia lanceolatay Wall., is 
frequently to be seen. Why should those two species coalesce more 
frequently than others? It would be interesting to cut through one 
of the stems and watch the result. When Kumta was 45 miles 
distant, the first example of Cymbidium bicolor ^ Lindl,, was met with, 
its pendulous flower stalks, about eighteen inches in length, were not 
fully developed. Here was Wrightia tomentosa ^ R. & S., that has 
caused such diverse statements by authors regarding the colour and 
odour of its flowers. In this instance— noted 12 hours after gathering 
- — the corolla was a very pale yellow with a greenish tinge, the lobulate 
scales at the mouth of the corolla tube were orange-coloured and 
the odour foetid ; when first seen in the forest, the corolla was a 
nearer approach to pure white, Osyris Wightiana, Wall, occurs here ; 
and Dillenia penlagyna, Roxh.y'lsiden with its small yellow fruit, is 
abundant, here also is the Nux-vomica tree — at this season in the 
height of its beauty with fresh shining foliage, and bright red or 
yellow fruit. At 37 miles from the coast, Ixora coccinea^ Linn, was 
first observed, and it continued down to the margins of the back 
waters ; its colour varies from pale yellow to deep crimson, and it, 
with the assistance of Mussaenda frondosa, Linn,, with its pure 
white bracts, makes the forest gay. Dalbergia volubilis^ Roxb., Jas- 
7 ninum arbor escenSy Roxb., Bassia longifolia^ Linn., Melastoma mala- 
bathricum^ Linn., Smilax ovalifolia^ Roxb., Garcinia indica^ Chois., 
and Schleichera t^ijuga, Willd, were the new features of the forest 
in that locality. 
At that place also occurs the first regular plantation of beteLnut 
palms met wdth on this journey. The plantation occupies the higher 
part of a narrow valley evidently having abundant subsoil water, 
which at the lower part is utilised for rice fields that are moist 
in the month of May, The plantation is surrounded by broad and 
deep trenches w'hich serve as drains to catch surface water and to 
strengthen the fences. The trees are in lines 8 feet apart, and 
between each pair of lines there is, alternately, a drain and a ridge, 
the drains being about 18 inches in depth and the ridges of corre-^ 
