1S72.] W. T. Blanford— Zoology of Sikkim. 41 



only saw burhel also in the Yangma valley, in East Nipal. A herd of rams 

 of O. naliura, although inferior in size to the true Ovis Amnion, would certainly 

 strike any one seeing them for the first time by their proportions, but it is 

 possible that the sheep seen on this occasion may have been the larger kind. 

 So far as Sikkim is concerned, however, every enquiry made by us elicited 

 the assurance that the true Ovis Amnion, or JVyeng, never occurs south of the 

 Donkia and Kongra Lama passes, though frequently met with at a short 

 distance^to the^north in Tibet ; so that in this respect, at all events, Jerdon 

 is perfectly correct in excluding it from his Mammals of India, p. 298, as 

 not found on the Indian side of the Himalaya. 



AYES. 

 Order Kaptobes. 



Vulturidce. 

 A large vulture was occasionally seen, but not sufficiently near to enable 

 either Captain Elwes or myself to ascertain the species or even the genus. 

 Probably it was Gyps Himalayensis, Hume, Scrap Book, Part I, p. 12, 

 which has now been determined by Mr. Gfurney to be a good species and 

 distinct from G. fulvus, Gnu., to which the Himalayan bird wag assigned 

 by Dr. Jerdon. 



Falconiclcd. 



7* G-ypaettts bakbattts, (L.) — The Lsemmergeyer has not previously 

 been recorded from the Himalayas east of Nipal. I did not meet with it 

 on the Chola range, nor within the limit of forest in northern Sikkim. It 

 is, however, common in the upper Lachen and Lachung valleys above 14,000 

 feet. Neither of us succeeded in obtaining a specimen, although several of the 

 birds passed at no great- distance. They looked small both to me and to 

 Captain Elwes, and I hope that specimens will hereafter be obtained for 

 comparison. I should not have mentioned the apparent size, but that the 

 only Lsemmergeyers I have ever seen alive are the small G, meridionalis, 

 Keys, and Bias., of Abyssinia. 



17 TESTsnnsrcuLirs ALAODAKrus, (Gm.). 



24 Accipiteb, nistts (L.). — Both the Kestril and Sparrow-hawk were 

 common in the upper Lachen and Lachung valleys after the middle of 

 September, evidently migrating southwards. None were seen on the Chola 

 range at the end of August. The kestril was seen a few days sooner than 

 the sparrow-hawk. 



47 BUTEO PLTTMIPES, HodgS. 



A single example of this rare buzzard was shot by a shikari at an 

 elevation of about 13,000 feet near Yeomatang in the Lachung valley. It 

 proved to be, as ascertained by dissection, a female in fine plumage. It agrees 

 * The numbers are those of Jerdon' s Birds of India. 

 6 



