Birds of the Indian Hills 



scenery compares unfavourably with that of 

 the Andes, while their beauty is surpassed by 

 that of the Alps. Not having seen the Andes, 

 I am unable to criticise the assertion regarding 

 the grandeur of the Himalayas, but I find it 

 difficult to imagine anything finer than their 

 scenery. 



As regards beauty, the Himalayas at their 

 best surpass the Alps, because they exhibit far 

 more variety, and present everything on a 

 grander scale. 



The Himalayas are a kind of Dr. Jekyll 

 and Mr. Hyde. They have two faces — the fair 

 and the plain. In May they are at their worst. 

 Those of the hillsides which are not afforested 

 are brown, arid, and desolate, and the valleys, 

 in addition to being unpleasantly hot, are dry 

 and dusty. The foliage of the trees lacks 

 freshness, and everywhere there is a remarkable 

 absence of water, save in the valleys through 

 which the rivers flow. On the other hand, 

 September is the month in which the Himalayas 

 attain perfection or something approaching it. 

 The eye is refreshed by the bright emerald 

 garment which the hills have newly donned. 

 The foliage is green and luxuriant. Water- 

 falls, cascades, mighty torrents and rivulets 



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