384 W. T. Blanford — Journey through Sikkim. ["No. 4, 



of lakes arid streams Chimarrhomis leucocephala was far from 

 uncommon, but there were no waders nor wagtails. The only 

 natatorial bird we saw was the " Brahmini duck," Casarca rutila, 

 which doubtless breeds around these lakes. 



Both ravens and crows were seen, and I came across two 

 choughs, Fregilus gracidus, a few days later. In the pine woods 

 were blood pheasants, Ithaginis cruentus, and on the trees three 

 kinds of crested tits, all rarities, Lophophanes Beavani, L. diehrous 

 and L> eemodius. The only mammal noticed was a Lagomys* and 

 not a single fish, amphibian, or reptile was observed. Indeed the 

 fauna of this elevation appears decidedly poor, and this, so far as 

 the avi-fauna is concerned, is a matter of no small interest, for it 

 goes far to prove that the large majority of the migratory birds, 

 which visit the plains of India during the winter, cross the Hima- 

 layas and breed in Tibet and Siberia during the summer. This 

 has lately indeed been confirmed by the discovery of several Indian 

 Phyllo&copina in Siberia, yet many Phylloscopi and Reguloides 

 breed in the rhododendron scrub of the Sikkim mountains, for we 

 found them with their young. Indeed it is probable that all the 

 birds which we noticed on the Chola range breed on the hills, be- 

 cause the range does not come in the path of the'migratory species, 

 which of course pass down the north and south valleys such as 

 that of the Tista. 



The whole of the rocks are very felspathic pale-coloured gneiss, 

 the foliation having a general but varying dip to the eastward. 

 At the Jelep-la the dip is N.10 E. about 20°, and usually on 

 the crest of the range the angle of inclination is very low. Near 

 the Yak-la it is in places quite horizontal. A similar horizonta- 

 lly of the gneiss has been noticed on the Singale-la range by 

 Captain W. S. Sherwill (J. A. S. B., 1853, p. 618, and sketch 

 No. 3, beside the map, p. 540). Curiously enough, the remarkable 

 horizontal foliation appears only to have been observed, both on 

 theCho-la and Singale-la ranges, upon the very crest of the dividing 

 ridge. 



* Of course others occur, but they are nocturnal or burrovvers. A day or 

 two afterwards I shot a snow pigeon, C. leuconota, and left it in a hole amongst 

 some rocks whilst climbing a small ridge. On redescending I found only fea- 

 thers remaining, the pigeon having been cai'ried down the hole probably by a 

 weasel or some other small carnivore. 



