8 A. H. McMalion — Notes on Fauna of Bir and Sumf. [No. l,' 



The upper portions of the head valleys of both the Swat and 

 Paiijkora rivers resemble in most respects the valleys vrhich on the 

 north side of the range form part of Chitral. It is to be expected 

 therefore that their fauna much resemble that of corresponding tracts 

 in Chitral. 



The remainder and the greater part of the Dir and Swat countries 

 are at a much lower elevation than that of Chitral. Both are mount- 

 ainous, but each successive mountain range, as one proceeds south* 

 waids, becomes lower and lower, until at the soutliern edge of the coun- 

 try the highest peaks attain to no more than 6,000 ft., while the main 

 valleys gradually descend to an elevation of only some 2,000 ft. Both 

 the upper and lower portions of the Dir and Swat countries differ in 

 one respect from Chitral, in that the annual rainfall is very much 

 greater. This has resulted in clothing the hill sides of the upper 

 valleys with wide deodar forests, and in thickly covering the lower 

 slopes with pine, oak and other small trees. The lower valleys are wide 

 expanses of alluvial land of great fertility. 



As might be expected, the fauna of the country is very rich and 

 'varied. How little we yet know of it will be seen by the scantiness of 

 these notes. 



Mammalia. — On the northern fringe of Swat where the water- 

 shed of the Swat river is also the watershed of some of the upper 

 Chitral valleys, the ibex (Capra sihirica) is reported. These I think 

 are only visitors from the Chitral side. Ibex is not found in Upper 

 Dir. 



Markhor, — (Capra fakoneri). A few of the Pir Punjab variety 

 with gracefully curved horns (Fig. 165 of Blanford's Fauna of India, 

 Vol. Mammalia) are to be found on the range which separates Dir from 

 Chitral, and Asmar. I do not know if any exist in Upper Swat or 

 Swat Kohistan, but one might expect to find them there. 



Further south in the range of hills which separate Swat from 

 Boner and the Peshawar plain, the Cabul variety with almost straight 

 horns and a slight spiral are found. 



Oorial. — Ovis vignei exist but in small numbers in the Southern 

 borders of Swat. They are of the Punjab variety, Ovis vignei proper, 

 and I have not heard of the existence in Dir and Swat of the Ovis 

 cycloceros or Shapu variety. It is doubtless to be found however in 

 Swat Kohistan which lies between Chitral and Ciiilas both possessing 

 this variety. 



Goral. — Cervus goral has been seen in the Lower Swat valley, where 

 one w^as caught alive while being swept down the Swat river in a 

 Hood, and also on the hills above Malakand. The existence of this 



