the scenery throughout unrivalled,— nature has certainly
favoured this part of India beyond any other
that I have visited. We continually passed some beautiful
flowering shrubs, and the hedges were covered with
creepers whose Canarese names were all I could learn
one was called Haggeri bud, a scarlet pendant barely an
inch long, another Bati bud (Plate XVII.), flower like th a t
of a crimson fuchsia with purple centre and a bright red
ovary, a most graceful plant growing to a considerable
size ; I also noticed a small tree bearing white flowers-
resembling bouquets of white pinks of a fragrant
vanilla perfume, name unknown. We rode over
acres covered with Cape Jasmine (Gardenia jlorida)
and then passing on through a jungle with occasional
breaks of pasture we came upon a herd of cattle,
amongst them there was, what appeared to my correct
eye, a blue cow, and on examining her closer I found
that the optical effect was produced by minute bluish-
gray spots under the skin. I had often heard of blue
cattle in India and this solved the mystery to my
satisfaction. In northern India, and especially in
Rajputana. we are told the forests hold many wild
blue bulls, there called Neilghau, which, like the
peacock, are sacred animals ; all blue things are deemed
so in honour of Krishna, who is always represented
of the same colour.
L