Il6 Hall, The Jitui^lc aii(/ (he Snvws. [^^J^ 



Emit 

 OlI. 



iii\- interpreter and myself were supplied with Spitti ponies by 

 the kindness of the Rana. It is up this and adjacent valleys that 

 the birds' migratory habit leads them at this season of the year, 

 some across the higher levels, and others even to Tibet. I was 

 sorry not to have had a view of the Snow Pheasant {CrossoptUon) 

 or of Perdix hodgsoni, which reaches the snow at 18,000 feet. 



Having fixed my business at a certain stage, I prepared to get 

 under way to Calcutta, and now saw the last of the monkeys of 

 Simla ; the wild lungur {Semnopithecus) and the ordinary bundur- 

 log soon become tame. The three divisions of Simla appear to 

 have three assemblages of the smaller species, and they run over 

 the housetops and apply to the shops for food just as it appeals 

 to them. Into my hotel they even came and stole and broke 

 things if the netting were not in good order. When a number meet 

 on the dividing lines the fights are fast and furious, and in a day 

 or two a body will be found near by pronounced dead from wounds 

 in battle. 



Very soon I was in the plains again, witli their smiling crops. 

 Had there been a drought I might have seen the " Peace Pool " 

 and " Council Rock " of " The Jungle Book." I did, however, 

 see Bagheera, Grey-Brother-the-Wolf, and the " gidur-log " while 

 camped in the jungle. With the company of Sherekhand and 

 Baloo my Kipling came near to me. I even saw Rikki-tikki-tavi, 

 the mongoose, go a-hunting at the setting of the sun. 



I had travelled at 9,000 feet along the great Hindustan-Tibet 

 road of deodar, walnut, and wild olive, meeting the people of 

 Chini, and travelhng the wonderful path that Purun Bhagat, of 

 " The Jungle Book," had beaten. Now I was going east towards 

 Benares dreamily in the company of Kim's Teshoo Lama of the 

 hills. Entering the Bengal Presidency, one finds the perennially 

 green grass, with myriads of water-birds upon the rice or adjacent 

 crops. In Calcutta itself the Zoo collection of water-birds and 

 hooved animals is good, though the markhor, with whom I wanted 

 to be friendly, would not let his better nature go. The lush 

 vegetation gives a good artistic touch to the animal houses and 

 cages. 



There l)eing no immediate prospect of a boat out from this port, 

 I l)Ooked by rail for Colombo via Madras. The aquarium of Madras 

 is composed principally of eight tanks, containing fishes of the 

 most beautiful colours. They are more charming than those of 

 Naples, though special studies are not displayed as in Naples. 

 Continuing by train the same day, I passed through fascinating 

 country, with its great areas of cotton crops, cocoanut palms, 

 and tamarisk. Obviously, this latter tree is cultivated by the 

 Forest Department for use as firewood on a highly cultivated 

 extent of country. 



Two days later I was passing into northern Ceylon, and on the 

 fourtli following 1 was aboard a boat steaming out of Coloml)o 

 for Australia. Passing the Cocos Islands I saw l)oth White-tailed 

 and Red-tailed Tropic-Birds {PJiarlluni) Happing about tlie steamer. 



