INTRODUCTION 



The avifauna of the Himalayas is a large one. 

 It includes birds found throughout the range, 

 birds confined to the eastern or western por- 

 tions, birds resident all through the year, birds 

 that are mere seasonal visitors, birds found 

 only at high elevations, birds confined to the 

 lower hills, birds abundant everywhere, birds 

 nowhere common. Most ornithological books 

 treat of all these sorts and conditions of birds 

 impartially, with the result that the non-orni- 

 thological reader who dips into them finds 

 himself completely out of his depth. 



He who plunges into the essays that follow 

 need have no fear of getting out of his depth. 

 With the object of guarding against this catas- 

 trophe, I have described as few birds as possible. 

 I have ignored all those that are not likely to 

 be seen daily in summer in the Himalayas at 

 elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet above 

 the sea-level. Moreover, the birds of the 



Western have been separated from those of the 



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