MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 471 



higher up. On the hill above Chungtam, I gathered at 5,000 to 

 6,000 feet Rhododendron arhoreum and dalhozisice, which do not gene- 

 rally grow at Darjeeling below 7,500 feet whilst on the outer ranges 

 (as on Tonglo) it is only found at 9,000 to 10,000 feet ; and where as 

 •on Tonglo it forms an immense tall tree, with long sparse branches 

 and slender drooping twigs, growing amongst gigantic magnolias 

 and oaks, at Chung-tam it is small and rigid and much resembling 

 in appearance our church-yard yew. At 8,000 feet the Abies 

 brunoniana is found, a tree quite unknown further south ; but 

 neither the larch nor the Abies smithiana (Khutrow) accompanied 

 it, they being confined to still more northern regions." 



The rock of this area is mainly gneiss and micaceous schists, the 

 ;soil is good claj^. There is a cultivation of millet and maize ; rice 

 is grown near the river but not any higher up the valley. 



Lachen (or Lamteng). — Situated slightly west of north from 

 Chantung, at a distance of 12 miles, and an elevation of 8,000 feet. 

 The ascent of 3,500 feet from Chuntang is gradual until a stiff 

 ■climb is encountered, up a huge ancient moraine which stretches 

 across the valley. The inhabitants are mostly Tibetans, who spend 

 the summer months tending their flocks high up near the Tibetian 

 border and using Lachen only as winter quarters. The neighbour- 

 ing mountains are clothed with grand forest of fir, spruce, larch, 

 •oak, birch, walnut, &c., also bamboo, rhododendrons, elder and cur- 

 rant bashes. Cultivation does not seem to be a strong point with 

 these people, for the fields, which are few in number, appeared to be 

 very roughly cleared and ill kept. I understand that buck-wheat 

 and turnips form the principal crops. On the northern slopes a 

 good deal of snow was lying, and in such situations is permanent 

 throughout the winter. 



Thangu. — This was my most northern camp; it is 12,000 

 feet above the sea level and 13 miles due north of Lachen. 

 The village contains a few huts, occupied only during the summer 

 months. It is situated in a spacious valley, where the Thanguchoo 

 stream joins the Lachen. The grassy slopes surrounding the vil- 

 lage are of easy gradient, but many are crowned with precipices 

 studded with spike-like peaks. This high ground lying north of 

 Lachen is, I understand, the driest area in Sikkim and has more 

 similarity with the dry climate of Tibet. In January at such a 

 high altitude the cold was intense but I found the dry clear atmos- 

 phere wonderfully invigorating. Barhal were exceedingly plenti- 

 ful and during my seai'ch for 'heads ' I ascended to about 16,000 

 feet, from which elevation the panorama of snow fields and peaks 

 is so wonderful that I frequently forgot the business in hand while 

 in enthusiastic contemplation of the ' views.' These excursions 

 were sometimes prematurely terminated by the biting winds which 

 it was impossible to face for long at a time. The Lachen and 



