A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



this ravine was of a brilliant crimson, which I found 

 to be the prevailing colour of the mountain at its 

 head, and which was noticed by Moorcroft. The 

 valley itself is much more confined than Kayma, 

 the hills on either side rising steeply from the 

 stream, those on the north being of some con- 

 siderable height. In many places there are the 

 same little grassy patches as in Kayma ; but here 

 they are much smaller and less frequent than in the 

 broader branch. In both these ravines there are lots 

 of animal life. Amongst the birds, I noticed large 

 flocks of snow-pigeons, with their lovely white and 

 grey plumage, ram chukore, ravens, choughs, 

 gelinots, or snow-larks, and many small birds, of 

 whose names I am sorry to say that I am ignorant, 

 besides many vultures, lammergeiers, and hawks of 

 various species. Marmots abounded, of the yellow 

 Ladakhi sort, and one emerged from his burrow 

 close to my tent, and not five yards from where 

 I was lying on my bed, reading. Quantities of 

 mountain hares were to be found on every hillside, 

 and though I found it hard to get near these 

 animals with a shot-gun, they afforded excellent, 

 practice for my ^oo-bore rifle, and were a very 

 welcome addition to the larder. They are smaller 

 than our English hare, and are ashen-grey on 

 the hindquarters. They are to be found almost 

 everywhere in Rupshu, sometimes in considerable 

 numbers, and, when disturbed, invariably make up- 

 hill ; I have come across them at an altitude of 



131 K 2 



