For Lyellia I had been hunting for three years, but never thought of looking for it at low elevations; as it was I believe given out to be a native of high places. Of birds, Bucco, Picus intermedius, green pigeon, azure shrikelet, occurred.
May 17th.—Murichom is a small village of eight or nine thatched houses, it is well and prettily situated: about it maize and wheat are in cultivation, Ficus, Hoya, Dendrobium, Croton malvæfolius, Meliacea, Cedrela Toona, orange, Verbesina, Datura, Artemisia major, Echites, in fact it would be difficult to point out an elevational plant. The same remark applies to the march to Gygoogoo, distant twelve miles, and situated 500 feet below the road, but still it is about the same level as Murichom. The march commenced with a steep descent, followed by a steeper ascent, then winding along, in and out, at an average elevation of 5,000 feet. The road was very bad, rocky and rugged as usual, P. and B. passed the village, and pushed on to Buxa, a distance of twenty miles, which place they reached at 7 P.M. At Murichom, Ficus cordata, fructibus pyriformibus, Clerodendron infortunata, Adamia, Spilanthes, Melastoma malabathrica, Bignonia, Pentaptera. The Oollook or Simia Hylobates, of Upper Assam.
Scarcely any thing worth noticing occurred; the vegetation being precisely the same. No oaks or chesnuts, at least comparatively few: Elæocarpus, Rhus, Gordonia are the most common trees; Pythonium common, Hoya rotundifolia. Gygoogoo, a small village of two or three houses, was passed.
May 18th.—Marched to Buxa, ascending from Gygoogoo over a wretched rocky road, winding in and out. No water was to be had until we reached a ridge from which to Buxa is one continued descent. This ridge is between 5 and 6,000 feet, and yet there is scarcely a change in the vegetation. Pythonium abounded, especially P. majus, which literally occurred in profusion. The trees towards the top of the ridge were covered with moss, but all appeared subtropical; a few chesnuts, E. spinosissima occurred, Bambusa nodosis, verticillatis, and spinosis.
En route thither, Pholidota imbricata, Thib. loranthiflora, Aralia terebinthacea, Rottleria foliis peltatis, Ranunculus of Taseeling, Meniscum majus, Byttneria ferox, Caladium foliis medio discoloratis sæpius atratis, Gnetum, Ixora, Choulmoogra, Phlogacanthi sp., Corisanthes of Sudya, Acer platanifolia, Croton foliis oblongis irregularis dentato-lobatis occurred before, between 2,500 to 3,500 feet, Calamus, wild plantains as before, Gordonia, Rhus, Mimosa, Rottleria, Wallichia, Sida cuneata, Tradescantia cordata, Æschynanthus fulgens, et altera, Tupistra, Lobelia baccifera, Costus, tree-fern, as high as 5,000 feet, Bambusa fasciculata; of birds, the large Bucco.
At 5,000 feet, Thibaudia serrata, and on this side, as low as 2,500 feet, myrtifolia, Gordonia, Pythonium majus and medium, cinnamon, Piper, Acer platanifolia, Mucuna, Angiopteris, Saurauja ferruginea.
At 5,300 feet, Polygonia pinnatifolia, Hookeria macrophylla, Aralia scandens, etc. as before.
On descent nothing remarkable, except steepness: same vegetation. Pythonium majus not below 3,000 feet, Guttiferæ at 3,000 feet, Acanthaceæ, Carduaceus 2,800 feet.
At 2,500 feet, Buchanania undulata, Hyalostemma undulatum, Roydsia.
What can be the cause of this tropical elevation at such altitudes? Buxa is hot enough for any tropical plants, as jacks, mangoes, Cactus, etc. are found in fine order. It is not attributable to a gradual rise, as the ascent from this to 5,500 feet, is excessively steep. It must be owing to local causes modifying the climate: at 5,000 feet on the Dgin route, there are many elevational plants, indeed more than of subtropical.