V^ NEWYORIt M 



^CENTRAL PARf^''^ l 



THE IBIS. 



SEVENTH SERIES. 



No. XIII. JANUARY 1898. 



I. — A Short Trip to Kashmir. 

 By J. Davidson, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



For many years I had been planning a birds^-nesting trip to 

 Kashmir, but difficulties as to leave and other matters always 

 came in the way, and it was not till the close o£ my Indian 

 service, in March 1896, that I found myself at liberty and 

 able to undertake the trip. 



I was fortunate enough to persuade Mr. Bell, of the Forest 

 Department, to take three months' leave and accompany me. 

 Although he had for many years been a devoted collector of 

 Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, he had previously not taken 

 any special interest in birds or their eggs; he, however, 

 became even more enthusiastic, if possible, than myself, and 

 the energy and activity which a very considerable advantage 

 in years gave him made him not only most valuable as an 

 assistant, but deserving of certainly at least an equal share 

 of the considerable success we had on our expedition. As 

 his time was strictly limited to three months, and as the long 

 journey to Kashmir from North Kanara and back was bound 

 to take up a large portion of our time, it was necessary to 

 select our date of starting so as to bring us on to the best 

 ground during the cream of the collecting-season. It was 

 therefore, after a careful perusal of all the authorities to 



SER VII. VOL. IV. B 



