1832.] On the Mammalia of Nepal 337 



but they are poor specimens of humanity ; whereas the great quadru- 

 peds alluded to are the largest and most vigorous of their respective 

 kinds. 



These facts would seem to indicate, that the principle sought is that 

 of inherited habits of body, or acclimatization, carried to such perfection 

 by course of time, in respect to the great quadrupeds, as to have super- 

 seded their original and natural habifs of body — carried to a much less 

 perfect state in regard to the particular tribes of human beings in 

 question. The elephant, tiger, &c. may well be supposed to have 

 tenanted these recesses for countless ages — man has but recently at- 

 tempted to divide the dominion with them. Yet, it must be confessed, 

 that the notions broached carry the idea of physical adaptability to an 

 extreme extent ; besides contradicting the accepted opinion as to the 

 superior capacity of man over the brutes in that respect. Let it be 

 observed, that in these observations I wish merely to insist upon the 

 singular fact, which I do not remember to have seen noted elsewhere, 

 viz. that in the most noxious tracts of country, tracts in which man 

 cannot live, some of the noblest quadrupeds abound and flourish — quad- 

 rupeds whose superior organization precludes the idea that the prin- 

 ciple of life is differently modified in them and in man, and which 

 consequently ought to be similarly affected with man by atmospherical 

 causes. Why then, are they not so ? Craving pardon for this digression, 

 I now proceed briefly to characterise the region which I have denomi- 

 nated the central one. 



This consists of a clusterous succession of mountains, varying in height 

 from 3 to 10,000 feet, covered every where with a deep bed of mould, 

 which feeds and sustains the most superb trees, and shrub vegetation, 

 and grasses, in general; too rankly luxuriant to afford wholesome pasture. 



The mountains are very precipitous, with extremely narrow intervals. 

 There are no extensive high flats, such as we call table lands or pla- 

 teaux, and only two low flats or valleys of any extent, which are those 

 of Nepal proper and of Yumila. The succession of the seasons is the 

 same as in the first region, and in the plains of India ; from which the 

 central tract differs only in the material respect of temperature. Varying 

 with the diversities of elevation, this region possesses a temperature 

 from 10 to 20 degrees lower than that of Hindustan, and, with some 

 allowance, its climate may be characterised as similar to that of the 

 Mediterranean shores. It is as moist as the plains of North Behar, 

 and, upon the whole, as salubrious as most countries in the world. 

 Not a -jLth part of its surface, probably, is under the plough. For 

 some unexplained reason (1 myself suppose the rankness of the pas- 



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