368 Lieut. W. W. Cordeaux on Birds 



foot of the Zogi-la. The road goes straight up from the 

 camping-ground at Baltal to the top of the pass, and rises 

 from 9000 to 11,000 feet iu a mile. Many skeletons of 

 ponies and yaks lie in the ravine, above which winds the 

 steep and treacherous road. As we went up a caravan was 

 coming down : one pony lost his footing and shot down the 

 precipitous slope in a cloud of dust and avalanche of small 

 stones ; he had hardly touched the bottom before several of 

 these huge birds sAvooped down and began to tear at the 

 carcass. I am glad to say he was quite dead, as with the 

 glass I saw him lying a shapeless mass on the rocks. 



2. Gypaetus barbatus. 



Common in Kashmir and the surrounding valleys, but I 

 did not observe the bird in Suru or Ladakh. In the Wurd- 

 wan, at Sokniss, a fine old bird of this species acted as 

 scavenger to our camp. 



3. TlNNUNCULUS CENCHRIS. 



Common in the Wurdwan and Kashmir from about 6000 to 

 9000 feet. Preys chiefly on small voles and field-mice, with 

 which the mountain meadows swarm. 



4. PaNDION HALIAETUS. 



I noticed one on the Jhelum, near Srinagar. I remember 

 seeing a pair in the same place in 1888. 



5. POLIOAETUS ICHTHYAETUS. 



Common on the Wular and Jhelum as far up as Islamabad. 

 Adams does not mention this bird, but says that he observed 

 Haliaetus fulviventer. From my own observations all the 

 specimens I saw, and I have been frequently within twenty 

 yards, were conspicuous for their grey heads, in some old 

 birds nearly white, all the feathers centred with dusky shafts. 

 I cannot help thinking that Adams must have been mistaken. 

 I have seen these birds sitting on the low clay cliffs of the 

 Jhelum with their wings and tails spread out to dry, like 

 Cormorants. 



6. Syrnium nivicola. 



This fine Owl is fairlv common in the Wurdwan and the 



