1873.] Memorandum for guidance of the Yarkand Mission. 123 



H. E. in Council would be glad to be favoured with any further observa- 

 tions which might occur to the Council of the Society, as to the specific 

 points to which the attention of the officers attached to the Mission should 

 be directed. 



In compliance with this request, the following memorandum has been 

 drawn up by the Natural History and Physical Science Committees, and 

 submitted to Government. 



Memorandum of Subjects for Scientific Observation to which the attention 

 of the Members of the Yarkand Mission may be particularly directed. 



As the Council of the Society have not been informed of the strength 

 and qualifications of the scientific party which has been, or will be, selected 

 to accompany the Yarkand Mission, or of the routes they will follow, and the 

 facilities available for carrying out those investigations which seem the 

 most desirable, it is somewhat difficult to form an idea of the particular 

 branches of science in which the members of the Mission will best be able 

 to make observations, but without going into details they will endeavour to 

 notice the principal points to which attention may most advantageously be 

 directed. 



Zoology and Botany. — The knowledge of Zoology and Botany to be 

 obtained from these regions will chiefly depend upon the facilities and 

 assistance which the Naturalist of the Expedition will have in procuring and 

 transporting Zoological and Botanical specimens. There can be no doubt 

 that both, and particularly the former, will prove of great interest, not only 

 for the study of our Indian fauna, but also as being intermediate between 

 that of India and Siberia on the one hand, and that of the Mediterraneo- 

 Caspian and the Northern Chinese and the Japanese on the other hand. It 

 would be very interesting to notice whether any and which of the birds and 

 also of the mammals which leave Siberia during the winter for the South, 

 remain in the Trans-Himalayan valleys. 



Such observations would greatly aid the study of the geographical 

 distribution of animals. Beliable observations regarding the forms of animal 

 and vegetable life at great altitudes will be of particular interest, and 

 especially so on the Karakoram range, which is not only the true watershed 

 between north and southern Asia, but virtually the average highest mountain 

 range in the world. 



If any limestone caverns be met with, they should be carefully searched, 

 especially if of great extent, for any traces of the existence of a subterranean 

 blind fauna such as has made the caves of Carniola in Europe, and of 

 Kentucky in America, so famous. The position in the cave of such animals 

 as may be found should be noted, so that the observations of Schiodte — that 

 those animals nearest the mouth of the caves of Carniola were most nearly 



