A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 207 



a pleasant S^l forest, on gently undulating ground, to Hetoura, 

 five miles from the crest of the Sandstone Range. This Dun 

 (Dhoon) or Mari of Hetoura is a characteristic example of 

 these well-known sub-Himalayan valleys ; lengthways its direc- 

 tion is nearly east and west, its breadth is about six miles, it 

 slopes gently from either side towards the centre, and is 

 traversed lengthwise by the streams of the Kurru and Rapti. 

 During the hot weather and rains the Hetoura Mari is as 

 malarious as the Bhaver. 



The ridge which flanks Hetoura on the north is cut up in 

 various directions by narrow glens, whose sides are thickly 

 covered with forest. The Rapti flows down one of these glens, 

 and along the banks of this stream lies the road onward towards 

 the Nepal Valley for the next ten miles or so. A little above 

 Hetoura, the Samri, a fine large stream during the rains, joins 

 the Rapti nearly at right angles. There is a steady, but 

 gradual, ascent up the gorge of the Rapti for about eight miles 

 to the hamlet and rest-house of Nimboatar. The scenery along 

 the greater part of this road is as picturesque as one would 

 wish to see : the clear waters of the Rapti tumbling down in 

 their winding course, and the lofty walls of the glen richly 

 clothed with beautiful forest, form a most charming view. At 

 every turn of the road fresh beauties greet the eye of the 

 traveller, and the excellence of the road, and of the bridges 

 over the river, help the enjoyment of the scene materially. 



At Nimboatar, where the glen widens out, there are large 

 boulders in the bed of the stream against which the waters 

 dash and foam, forming during the rains a grand torrent. 

 Altogether the glen of Nimboatar is worthy of comparison 

 with some parts of the Sind Valley in Kashmir — perhaps the 

 highest praise that can be bestowed on scenery of this kind. 

 As usual, the hill-sides, having a northern exposure, are more 

 densely covered with forest than those on the opposite side. 



From Nimboatar to Bhimphedi the distance by road is about 

 six miles, there being a regular ascent the whole way. Alono- 

 the road there are some of the finest Simal (^Bomhax) trees 1 

 have ever seen ; their great height is only fully realized when 

 one tries to shoot one of the many birds that feed on their flowers 

 in December. The scenery here is inferior to the lower part 

 of the road ; the valley has now widened out a good deal ; there 

 is a considerable amount of cultivation in parts, and isolated 

 hamlets make their appearance as Bhimphedi is neared. 



Bhimphedi is a fair-sized village, the houses being built of 

 red bricks as is usual in Nepal. It stands at the head of the 

 valley we have traversed since leaving Hetoura, immediately 

 under the steep Sissagarhi Ridge — which here has an east and 



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