63 



FIELD NOTES WITH THE CHITRAL RELIEF FORCE. 



By Major W. St. J. Richaedson, f. z. s. 



{Read before the Bombay Natural Hhtonj Society on 18th Jid/j, 1895.) 



Though most of the country passed through by this expedition is 

 somewhat barren and singularly devoid of life, I have here jotted down 

 a few of the most common birds or animals that came under my notice 

 whenever there was time enouoh to make notes. 



From Nowshera to Murdan is, I suppose, too well known to require 

 description. The road crosses the Kabul River on a bridge of boats, 

 and passhig through some low bare hills, proceeds in almost a direct 

 line to Hoti Murdan. As the station is approached, the cultivation 

 increases, watered by a canal that comes down from the Swat River. 

 In the barley fields about the end of April, I believe there is some of 

 the best quail-shooting in India. The commonest birds are the English 

 starling, common mynah, the golden oriole, the raven, and the ubiqui- 

 tous crow. The next stage from Hoti Murdan to Jalala is uninterest- 

 ing in the extreme, over bare open plain ; a little barley cultivation 

 round Jalala village ; birds very few. Small fish are to be caught in 

 the stream here, but I did not see any. I am told that they are a 

 sort of mahseer, and they run readily at a very small fly-spoon. The 

 road next passes towards the hills through barley cultivation, and about 

 fourteen miles the village of Durgai is reached. I noticed the imperial 

 eagle and one of the common harriers on this march. 



Durgai is situated at the foot of one of the spurs that run 

 down from the Malakhand Pass. Here the road became extremely 

 difficult. Going towards the foot of the pass I saw some chikor. 

 The hills here are sparsely covered with korindah and other bushes, 

 and probably hold a few hares and black partridge, but I saw neither. 

 At the top of the pass, height 3,540 feet, there are groves of wild 

 olives, the commonest bird being the oriole. There are also chikor on 

 the rocky hills round. We now get down into the Swat Valley ; 

 cultivation, still keseel (or bearded wheat) very plentiful, trees in 

 topes and very uncommon on the hills, which appear almost bare. 

 A few quails in the wheat, and I oljsorved snipe, gad wall and teal on 

 the river near Aladand. I also saw among the groves of trees a 



