PARROTIA JACQUEMONTIANA. Dec.
Killer, Kirru, Pare, CHEN. Killar, . . . RAVI Wych hazel, . . EN6. Sha, SUTLEJ Psher, Pishor; . JIIELUM. Spilecha, . TR.-INDUS Pahu, Po, . . KANGRA.
A shrub of some size, Which grows abundantly in many places on most of the rivers up to tin Indus, as well as more sparingly beyond it, a from 2800 to 8000 feet. It is generally seen is clusters and thickets, the stems ranging up to or 15 inches girth, and 15 or 20 feet high. Th4 leaf resembles that of the hazel, for which thil plant has frequently been taken by Europeans although the fruit is very different. In som4 places its leaves are said to be browsed by cattle The wood is hard and strong, and makes goo( pegs, native bedsteads, rice-pestles, walking-sticks etc.; and Vigue states that he had an excellen flute made in England of its wood. The twig: are used for binding loads, making baskets, etc. but the chief use of the plant is for the twig bridges, often spanning 300 feet. These are ii
most places made of Parrotia twigs, either wholl: or mostly, Cotoneaster, Olea, and Indigofera heter antha, q.v., being sometimes mixed with these For the bridges, etc., Parrotia is cut at all seasons hut is not very lasting, requiring frequent piece meal renewal. Longden mentions a birchen jhub at Koksar, since replaced by a bridge ; and willov is stated to be employed in Spiti, Ladakh, etc Near Muzaffarabad there were severalbridges of tin same construction (viz. one longitudinal rope t4 walk on, and two lateral ones to hold by, connecte( with the former by thinner ropes), but made o twisted hide, and one was mentioned by Hutton is Kanaivar made of yak's hair. Parrotia Persia grows in Persia and Kashmir, and furnishes a very hard wood.—Dr. J. L. Stewart, M.D.