Si 1ENCE-G0SSIP 



97 



SI K KIM 

 lh M vjok II. A I "i .11 . R.A.M.C. 



m ■* 1 1 1 i Sikkim H imala) > , ab< ive 



■* S.ooofl .. .in practically nhabiied during the 



i .I il ill. year, The climate is sevi n 



in'. iv \ falls hi rn '.'■ laki pla< i «". ng Hocks and 



herds from obtaining i I. 



I i nl.ii in 1 1 1, mi two and a half years in the 



it i .nil. mg, i I". ility situated in 



i ,i. .' Iml. i il. hi Sikkim. This gave 



. oppi irtunity of stud) ing the ftoi i and fauna of 



■ill I. i lui • lamp hi Fori was at an 



elevation ol 12,500ft., the barometei standing on the 



iboi [911 I In 1 mperature in winter 



ruled in 3*F, in siimmci il attained a height of 



avoid 1 1, w nil h lull- »l the jungles at that 



season, and i" allou theii catlli to bi iwse on the 

 young grass thai shoots up, when the snow melts, 

 rrible scourge, they attach themselves 

 to any part of a il I racting largcquanl i 



blood, and produi u rious symptoms, 1 specially when 

 they ^.itn admission to the nasal cavi |uently 



1 in sheep, cows, dogs, and others. They are also 

 prone to attach themselves to thi junctiva of the 



eye or the eyelids. At certain seasons, ever) 

 the jungle seems to swarm with them, but when 

 cold weathei ;el in, the) soon disappear. I ha 

 seen them above an elevation of 9,000ft. 



BlDANG Cm Lake. Ki'PVP Vallev, Sikkim. 



TOO IT. All 



65' I Fierce storms raged .it certain times ol the 



year, accompanied by thunder. On one occasion a 



military signaller vv.i- killed by lightning in the 



I graph office. The rain and snow fall combined, 



I 1 . ie<l .'ver 1S0 iii. The climate was excessively 



damp from the heav) rainfall and mantle ol clouds, 



in which we were enveloped during the greater part 



of the year. The snow usually began in January, and 



ntil the commem emenl of the rains in June. 



Vs alread) mentioned these regions are uninhabited 



in the winter, but about June when the snows are 



melting, the native, « ho havew interedv, n It theirflocks 



and herds in the lower regions ascend the hill sides to 



From the month of May to the end of August 



vig us vegetative activity prevailed, and one would 



-inely believe the wonderful show of flowers which 

 1 in -in cessive crops during that period, lending 

 tu the hillsides from lime to time, mantles of purple, 

 yellow, and blue. In May and June the magnificent 

 rhododendrons come into flower. They vary in size 

 from a tree 30ft. in height at 8,OOOft. altitude, to a 

 mere scrub with large white or purple flowers, at 

 14,000ft. 



Sikkim is also the country of primulas. We rind 

 Primula petiolaris flowering under the snow. ( Hirers 

 such as Primula sapphiriua and /'. glabra occur in 



Sep 1 - , 1 No 64. Vol. VI. 



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