PHOTOGRAVURE 9 



EASTERN HIMALAYAN HAUNT OF THE IMPEYAN 



At the climax of three mountain ranges in eastern Nepal, a mighty boulder juts out from the steep 

 slope. It is painted with lichens, encrusted with moss, and in a narrow shelf on its sheltered side a trio 

 of Impeyans roosted. This roosting place, at an altitude above the limit of trees, was an isolated haven 

 of safety, out of the reach of martens, foxes and wild dogs. The birds were crowded close together on the 

 thick, soft cushion formed by the alpine moss, and above them there were the leaves of a tiny rhododendron 

 which had found a foothold in a little crevice. Early in the morning, before the full sunlight would expose 

 them to a passing eagle, the three would leap outward and scale down for their morning drink at a 

 snow-fed torrent. 



