Clje ^ocietp 
tells us, by Kamrup. But we learn too from Don that Hamilton also knew the 
white ARBOREUM from Nepal, and had named it R. album. 
On the whole then, whilst credit must be given to Captain Hardwicke for 
having first brought the tree to the notice of Europeans, and for having first 
sent home seeds, we shall have to leave it unsettled as to who sent the seeds from 
which the first living plants were raised. Hardwicke, we believe, was too 
early, Wallich too late. We incline to the belief that, if the credit must be given 
to one of these three distinguished collectors, Hamilton was the man. There is, 
however, another possibility which should not be overlooked. We have seen 
that Wallich was among the officers under instructions to join the expeditionary 
force which, towards the end of 1814, was organized by the Government of Bengal 
to invade Nepal. If Wallich was unable to take part in this campaign himself 
he may very well have been the recipient of collections of seeds made during 
its course. It has been rare for a transfrontier campaign to take place in India 
without some officer generously doing all in his power to help the Calcutta 
Garden in this way. The treaty which followed the conclusion of this campaign 
was signed on 2nd September, 1815, and ratified on 4th March, 1816. That 
treaty assigned to the East India Company a portion of the North-western 
Himalaya which includes the district through which Hardwicke’s route lay. 
The receipt by Wallich of seeds of the red R. arboreum during 1815, is, therefore, 
not only possible but probable, and if he despatched these to Mr. Shepherd, of 
Liverpool, along with seeds of the white, the date suggested by Sir William 
Hooker is correct almost to a year. But in this case the credit due to Wallich is 
that of the forwarding agent not that of the collector. 
R. ARBOREUM in the Western Himalaya is usually to be found in a forest 
association which includes Quercus incana and Andromeda ovalifoua. In 
the Khasia Hills, where it is also common, it is to be found more especially on 
the rocky sides of the numerous gorges of that table land. In the Naga Hills, 
further to the north, it occurs in a forest association similar to that in the North¬ 
west Himalaya though with different companion oaks, and is most abundant 
near the crests of rocky ridges and on the edges of cliffs where it secures 
comparative freedom from shade. 
D. PRAIN. 
December, 1917. W. J. BEAN. 
Note. —Sir David Drain, in a letter to Mr. Eley, dated 29th December, 1917, 
writes:—" Perhaps some Member of the Rhododendron Society whose 
' forebears ’ have taken care to file their correspondence may be induced to look 
up letters or bills of the period 1797—1821, and see if there is any mention in 
these of seeds or plants of this Rhododendron. 
Only in some such way as this are we Likely now to learn the exact year of 
successful introduction. 
If the exact year were known, I think the facts we have managed to unearth 
from old books, letters and specimens may enable us to decide who was the 
successful introducer.” 
179 
