A HIMALAYAN VALLEY 7 



The main bulk of Southern Hazara is composed of 

 Tertiary limestone elevated into hills some eight thou- 

 sand feet in height. In bulky masses they raise their 

 ridges high over the fertile valleys. Encircling their 

 broad waists is a natural girdle which defines the dark 

 forests of conifer that densely clothe their summits 

 from the barren slopes below. It is a pleasant recrea- 

 tion to wander from the deep valleys upward over the 

 treeless mountain zone into these dark Himalayan 

 forests. The murky valleys are soon forgotten as we 

 ascend to cooler heights. We come upon the treeless 

 zone. It is green with long mountain grass through 

 which peep the blue bosses of the limestone. As we 

 ascend higher we meet the forest of conifers, first a 

 few dwarfed and scattered pines that struggle to exist 

 a thousand feet below the forest. At six thousand 

 feet we leave behind the treeless slopes and ascend 

 into the gloomy woods. At the very outskirts we are 

 greeted by birds of brilliant colour. Green parrots, 

 shrieking as though in wild alarm, sweep high above 

 the trees ; perched over a torrent is a verditer fly- 

 catcher clothed in a most lovely blue, softening under 

 different shades of light into emerald or turquoise ; 

 and above us, flitting from pine to pine as if rejoicing 

 in its unequalled brilliancy, is the fiery scarlet of the 

 minivet. It is mainly the birds that beautify these 

 forests ; their many varieties, their splendid colours, 

 their striking contrast with the duller species of the 

 valley, make these pine woods an ornithological 

 paradise. 



We penetrate deeper into the forest under the shade 

 of giant conifers. The woods are very peaceful. A 

 sharp, cool air invigorates the body relaxed by the 



