These trees appear to be limited to the belt of jungle or toorai which commences towards the foot of the Aka and Duphla hills, and which in the part in which I examined them is about 8 miles wide.  They are said to be found likewise among the neighbouring villages, but I saw no instance of this.  They occur solitarily, or at most in groups of two or three.  They appear to be more frequent towards the immediate base of the hills, and to prefer the drier parts of those humid and dense forests called toorai.  They are frequently of vast size, and by this as well as their dense head, may be at once recognised even at a distance of a few miles.  Some idea of their size may be formed from the following measurements of a large one: 

Circumference of main trunk, 74 feet
Ditto, including the supports, 120 "
Ditto, of space covered by crown branches, 620 "
Height, ditto ditto, 80 to 100 "

The roots spread out in every direction on reaching the ground; the larger running along the surface, their upper portion being uncovered:  occasionally they assume the form of buttresses, but never to such a marked degree as occurs in some other trees, such as the Simool, Herietiera, etc.  The supports are only thrown out towards the base of the principal branches, not as in the banian at indefinite distances.  The trunk is a compound one, formed entirely by the mutual cohesion of roots; not as in almost all other trees by the growth of parts in an ascending direction.  Its aspect is picturesque and varied, occasionally putting on the appearance of sculpture.  It is, I think, doubtful whether this as well as some other species of the genus are not to be considered as genuine parasites, at any rate they generally cause the destruction of the tree on which they originally grew.  If this be the case the parasitism is the reverse of that which occurs in Cuscuta, in which the plantule draws its first nourishment from the earth, relinquishing this when sufficiently developed to enable it to draw its supply from other plants.  I may here observe, that parasites are common on the peepul, contrary to the statement of M. DeCandolle.

The destruction of the foster-mother takes place by the mutual interlacement of the roots, which descending irregularly, form at first a strong net-work, subsequently becoming a cylindric binding, in the strongest possible way to the trunk, and preventing all lateral distinction.  The hollow occupied by the trunk when dead may become filled up, when this has passed away, by other roots.  The adhesion of the roots commences by abrasion of the bark, the union subsequently becomes of the most intimate kind.  The supports are perfectly cylindrical; they become conical only towards the earth, on approaching which they divide into roots:  they are strictly descending growths, and as such, under ordinary circumstances, they never produce leaves, etc.  Roots likewise