Trip to Kashmir. 3 



surprised to see butterflies, and we spent our time most 

 happily in capturing many that we had not previously seen 

 alive. 



We left Murree in a tonga on the morning of the 22nd, 

 and crossed the Kohala bridge over the Jhelum about mid- 

 day, reaching Garhi in time for dinner, and next day we 

 drove along the Jhelum, reaching Baramula about 4 p.m. 

 We found our boats and servants waiting for us, and went 

 a mile or two up the river to escape the numerous merchants 

 beseeching orders for everything from Kashmir silver-ware 

 and shawls to leather shoes. 



Between Murree and Baramula we saw a good many birds, 

 and made our first acquaintance with several charming 

 songsters, such as Chimarrhornis leucocephalus and Rhya- 

 cornis fuliginosus. We saw also Palaornis schisticeps, with 

 its beautiful yellow tail, in flocks, and occasional pairs all along 

 the Jhelum till about seven or eight miles from Baramula, 

 when it disappeared, and we never saw it on the other side 

 of the Pir Punjal range. The European Cuckoo was heard 

 everywhere along the road, and indeed every day till we left 

 Kashmir. 



On the 24th and 25th April we were towed up the Jhelum 

 between Baramula and Srinugger, we ourselves walking 

 along the banks most of the way, carrying butterfly-nets and 

 guns. We saw, however, very few birds. Starlings and 

 Jackdaws [Sturnus humii and Corvus monedula) were in large 

 flocks, and occasionally we saw a pair building. Upupa 

 epops and the common Kashmir Thrush {Merula unicolor) 

 were in pairs everywhere, while the banks were full of House- 

 Sparrows building in slight holes in the ground. On the 

 way we saw a small flock of Merula atriyularis, one of which 

 I missed ; they were evidently passing through, and our 

 general impression of this district was that it was very 

 birdless. There were a good many Kites along the river ; 

 we shot one, a fine male of Milvus melanotis, and took two 

 nests of this bird with one and two fresh eggs respectively. 

 Most, if not all, the Kites along the river seemed to be of 

 this species, while higher up the Sind River the few Kites 



B 2 



