524 Notes of a trip from Simla to the Spiti Valley. [No. 5, 



4th, Painda bungalow 6,354 ft.* — Made a forced march to this bunga- 

 low which is a comfortable one on the line of uncompleted new road, 

 hut not quite finished. Felt quite jolly at being once more under a 

 comfortable roof, instead of a dripping tent. 



5th, Saraon bungalow 6,632 ft.* — Made a forced march into Saraon. 

 In the woods near Saraon hazel nuts were plentiful, and many of them 

 ripe and falling from the trees. 



I put up for the night in a large well built room, probably intend- 

 ed for labourers employed on the bridge or road, the only drawback 

 being a few fleas which occupy such situations. The building stands 

 in what evidently once formed the gorge of the Sutlej, before the 

 river had cut its present deep channel a little to the north ; though 

 during floods possibly the superfluous waters may still find an exit 

 down this channel. At present, however, it is used as a camping 

 ground for the flocks of sheep which convey grain into the interior 

 and the whole is clothed with a thick crop of " Batu" dropped by 

 passing grain merchants or travellers, and which flourishes luxuriant- 

 ly in this moist well manured spot. After my hard march I slept 

 soundly, aided perhaps by the subdued murmurs which reverberated 

 among the rocks from the surging river below. 



4th, Painda bungaloiv, 6,354 ft.* — Before breakfast strolled out and 

 shot several blue pigeons which abound on the precipitous rocks 

 which line the Sutlej here. Large lizards, (laudakia melanura f) 

 also abound among the rocks, to the crevices of which they retreat 

 when frightened. They seem to attain their largest size at a height 

 of 4000 or 5000 ft., occurring much smaller at Simla than at lower 

 elevations along the road. Their abdominal cavity usually contains 

 a great number of entozoa lying freely among the viscera, probably 

 the undeveloped or couchant stage of some taenia, whose perfect form 

 must be sought for in the viscera of some carnivorous bird or mammal. 



6th, Dhurni bungalow, 9,27 5 ft.* — This bungalow is situated on the 

 crest of a ridge, and the road is carried over a very sharp ascent, 

 with little attempt to preserve a uniform gradient. In the -village 

 just below walnuts were being gathered and peaches covered the 

 trees in profusion, but mostly small and unripe. Limax altivagus, 

 mihi, was also common in the early morning, its traces being numer- 

 ous, though I noticed none of the animals during the day. 



In front of the bungalow was a large piece of ground under pota- 



