Mr. Hodgson un the Mammalia and Birds of the Himalaya. 1G7 



subdivisions. The following appear to be those demarcations by 

 height which most fitly indicate the three regions : — 



Name. Elevational limits. 



Lower region Level of the ])lains to lOOO feet above the sea. 



Central region 4()0U to 10,000 feet above the sea. 



Upper region 10,000 to H),000* feet above the sea: highest 



peak measured is 28,176. 



"To begin with Man, the upper region is the exclusive habit of 

 the Bhotias, who extend along the whole line of the ghats, and 

 who, with the name, have retained the lingual and physical charac- 

 teristics of their tramontarie brethren. To the central region are 

 confined — but each in their own province from east to west — the 

 Mishmis, the Bors and Abors, the Akas, the Daphlas, the Lhopas, 

 the Lepchas, the Limbus, the Kirantis, the Murmis, the Newars, 

 the Siinwars, the Chepangs, the Gunings, the Magars, the Khas or 

 Khasias, the Kohlis, the Garhwalis, the Kakkas, the Bambas, the 

 Gakars, the Khatirs, the Awans, and the Jaujuhs. To the lower 

 region are as exclusively limited the Koceh, the Bddo, the Dhimal, 

 the Kichak, the Tlnirii, the Dcnwar, the Stillah, and the Bdksari. 

 Of these races, those of the central region are all of transnivean 

 origin, like the first named ; but they are much altered in speech 

 and aspect by twelve to fifteen centuries of residence in a cisnivean 

 climate, and by mixture in some few cases (as Khas or Khasia) with 

 southern blood ; whilst the races of the lower region are of the 

 aboriginal Indian or Tamulian stock, and nearly unmixed, though 

 some of them have adopted the speech and customs of the Hindusf . 

 The hill Brahmans, Rajpiits and Moslems, so common to the west- 

 ward, so rare to the eastward, arc more modern immigrants from the 

 plains. It is very deserving of sjjccial notice, that the people of the 

 upper region cannot endure the climate of the central one, nor those 

 of the central region the climate of the lower one ; so that the distri- 

 bution eveu of the human race in the Himalaya affords a remarkable 

 verification of our triple transverse division from a quarter the least 

 likely to afford any such argument. But to proceed to our zoological 

 eiuuuerations. To the upper region exclusively belong, among the 

 Ruminants, the Bisons {Po'ephagus) and Musks, the Wild Goats 

 {I/jex, Hemiti-nyus) and Wild Sheep (Psei/dois, Ocis) ; among the 

 Rodeuts, the Marmots and Pikas (Laf/o»vjs) ; among Plantigrades, 

 the Bears proper (U/sks). In the middle region, true Bovines (Bos) 

 take the })lace of the Bisons of the upper region ; Caprine Antelopes 

 (Nemorhcedus, Kemas) replace its Musks and Wild Goats and Sheep ; 

 common Rats, and Mice, and Hares, and Porcupines, and Hedge- 

 hogs, its Marmots and Pikas ; and Sun Bears (Jlefarcfos) its true 

 Bears ; whilst the Deer family, unknown to the upper region, is here 



* This is about the average height of the gh;its and of the perpetual snow. It 

 is also n(;arly the lituit of possible investigation, and of the existence of organic 

 pli;cnouiena. 



t For these tribes see Journ. As. Soc. Beng. for December 1817, and April and 

 .Tunc 1848, and May 1849. 



