.90 W. T. Blanford — On the Physical Geography [No. 2, 



monly found. After rain it is said that numerous herbs spring up, and a 

 grass called Brut (? Centhrus liflorus), the spiny seeds of which have a 

 most unpleasant habit of attaching themselves to one's clothes like burs. 

 These seeds, divested of their spiny covering, are used for food, and are 

 made into a kind of bread. 



As might be anticipated, the desert fauna is poor, and in the sandy 

 tracts is entirely confined to animals which never require water. Hya?nas 

 are met with in the more hilly parts but not, I think, amongst the sand-hills ; 

 wolves (Canis pallipes) and jackals are more common. The only carnivor- 

 ous animal, however, which is universally found, is the desert fox (Vulpes 

 leucopus) ; V. Bengalensis is also met with, but less abundantly. The caracal 

 (Lynx caracal) is said to be common, but the only wild cat I saw was, I be- 

 lieve, Felis torquata, and I never succeeded in shooting one. None of the 

 larger carnivora are found, though a leopard may occasionally straggle across 

 to the bills of Balmir or Jaysalmir. The mammal of the desert par excellence 

 is the desert jerboa-rat (Gerbillus Surriance*) , which exists in almost in- 

 credible numbers, the whole surface of the sand-hills being dotted over with 

 the entrances to its burrows. Over thousands of square miles, the number 

 of burrows probably exceeds on an average one to every square yard. There 

 can scarcely be a doubt that this little animal — which is a pretty little crea- 

 ture of a greyish tawny colour, with rather long hind legs, a rounded head, 

 and a long hairy tail — would in most countries furnish an important item of 

 food, for it is purely herbivorous, living chiefly on seeds and roots. Besides 

 furnishing food to the foxes and wild cats, this rat is the prey of buzzards 

 and of many of the otber raptorial birds. No other rodent is found in the 

 sand-hills ; I did not even see a hare, though the Sind representative of the 

 genus (Lepus Day anus) is common in the hilly tracts, whilst the only 

 ungulate found in the Thar is the Indian gazelle (Gazella Bennetti). 



Thus it may be said that the only common mammals of the sand-hills 

 are the fox, gerbil, and gazelle, and all these, I believe, can live without 

 drinking. I am certain that the two latter never drink. The birds 

 are more numerous. The common falcon is F. jugger, but I believe I saw 

 F. sacer also. Aquila fulvescens abounds in places and I met with Gir cac- 

 tus gallicus occasionally. But the most common raptores are the desert 

 buzzard (Buteo ferox) and kestrils. Vultures, Neophrons, and kites are 

 chiefly seen about villages. Owls are not common : I twice came across 

 flocks of the short-eared owl (Otus hrachyotus), and I occasionally found 

 Athene Brahma and once Scops Brucei. 



The bee-eater (Merops virklis) is found generally distributed. Swallows 

 are occasionally seen ; swifts (Oypselus qffinis) are very local as usual. Goat- 



* G. erythrourus, Gray, apiid Jerdon, but true G. erythrwrus is a different species, 

 Zool. Persia, p. 70. 



