26^ Mr. H. Whistler on the [Ibis, 



particularly between the fork of tlie Jhelum and Chenab 

 river?, the soil is notably sterile and impregnated -with salt- 

 petre ; so that for miles the traveller may pass over dead, 

 dusty, whitish soil which produces only coarse, worthless 

 grass, a semi-desert flora, and thorny bushes stunted by the 

 grazing of innumerable goats and camels. 



On both sides of the (Jhenab at Chiniot occurs a curious 

 outcrop of small rocky hills similar to the Kirana Hills of 

 Shahpur, and Sangla Hill in Gujranwala District. From 

 them one may look across to the Salt Kange some 40 miles 

 away across the Jhelum River; yet geologically these hills 

 have no connection with the Salt Range, but appear to be the 

 last outposts of the Aravali ranges. These hills are very 

 steep, in ridges with a north-east to south-west strike ; they 

 are veiy bare, covered with broken rocks and stones with 

 sparse grass and a few stunted bushes. They rise from a flat 

 plain, lifter the manner of drawing of hills by childish hands. 



Two localities deserve special mention from their interest 

 both to the sportsman and the ornithologist ; both owe their 

 present characteristics to the activity of the Canal Department. 

 In the Barana direction the Nurpur Canal escape, originally 

 a channel constructed to return excess water in the canals to 

 the Chenab River, has caused the formation of a series of 

 huge reed-beds and thickets of " Pampas grass " extending 

 for some five miles, sometimes dry, sometimes a swamp ; this 

 in the cold weather is the haunt of numerous wildfowl, and 

 at all seasons forms the home of numerous interesting; birds. 



About Massan the tail of another branch of the canal is 

 used as an outlet to run off the surplus water, and this has 

 caused the formation of various jheels and reedy channels 

 which formed one of my favourite hunting-grounds ; more 

 particularly as the broken nature of the ground and the 

 separate channels and patches of water were most fully 

 adapted to the needs of the falconer in search of duck. 



In the whole district there is nothing that may be dignified 

 by the name of a wood, except a small reserve belonging to 

 the Forest Department on one bank of the Jhelum River. 

 This unfortunately I have not been able to visit. 



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