\ 



1877.] of the Wardwdnand XT^jper Chincih Valleys. 287 



if we follow the course of the Chinab above Kishtwar, we find that beyond 

 the village of Tindi, Ibex, though in small numbers, occur on the southern 

 or left bank of the river ; generally they are not found on the Chamba 

 side of the range of mountains running along the southern bank of the 

 Chinab ; but early this season a small flock was observed which had crossed 

 the range into the Barmaor district ; this being, as far as I can learn, the 

 only instance of Ibex being seen there. To the east of the Wardwan, and 

 to the north of the Chinab, Ibex in great numbers range over the Tibetan 

 districts of Siirii, Zanskar and Ladak. 



Wherever Ibex are found either to the west of the Wardwan or to the 

 south of the Chinab, these rivers are bridged over during some portion of 

 the year by snow, across which bridges the Ibex have doubtless passed 

 from the country to the east and south of the two rivers, which is their 

 proper home. 



Gcifva Falconeri is not found within the district under consideration. 



Sii/S indicus is found in the Chinab valley at and below Kishtwar, but 

 I believe it does not range above that place, either in the Chinab or the 

 Wardwan valley. 



Though not strictly belonging to the wild fauna of the district, I may 

 mention that the half-breed between the Indian cattle and the domesti- 

 cated Yak is commonly employed in agriculture, in the Chinab valley, at 

 and above the village of Gulabgarh, the elevation of which place is but 

 slightly over 6000 feet above the sea-level : this is the lowest elevation at 

 which I have seen the half-breed living constantly in the Himalaya. 



From a perusal of the above notes, it will be apparent that the valley 

 of the upper Chinab, and in a lesser degree that also of the Wardwan, 

 forms an ill-defined boundary-line between the faunas of the so-called 

 "Himalayan" and "Tibetan" regions. 



If we refer to a list of the Mammalia proper to the plateau of Tibet, 

 given by Mr. W. T. Blanford in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society 

 of London,* we shall find that the following four Tibetan species, viz., Felis 

 uncia, Ganis inontanus, Arctomys himalayanus and Capra sihirica extend 

 their range into the " Himalayan" region of the Chinab, where they either 

 mingle with or closely apj^roach to the proper fauna of that region, such as 

 Ursits tihetanus, JJrsus isahellinus, Hemitragus jemlaicus, and NemorlicB- 

 due goral. It is worthy of notice that the last of the four above-mention- 

 ed species does not occur on the ground where the outljdng " Tibetan" 

 forms range, while the other three " Himalayan" species mingle with the 

 " Tibetan," 



There appears to be some doubt as to which of the two faunas the 

 Musk-deer properly belongs ; Mr. Blanford, in his above-quoted paper, 



* 1876, p. 633. 



