A WANDERINGS OF A 



are devoted, but to the young and ardent, who may enjoy 

 such opportunities for enlarging their ideas and improving 

 their minds ; therefore, should I weary the reader, I must 

 confess that ^y best endeavours have been directed to the 

 opposite, for I have too lively a recollection of my own 

 difficulties when I began inquiries into the natural history of 

 India, and the perplexity and confusion occasioned by dry 

 details, catalogues, and detached papers, devoid of lively in- 

 cidents to excite my ardour or increase my interest in the 

 study. It would be useless to dilate on the advantages India 

 offers to the naturalist ; and with respect to the Himalayas, 

 perhaps few regions afford like inducements for study. Their 

 vast ranges are often clothed with verdure to the summits, 

 and on the highest to the confines of perpetual snow. In the 

 rich and fertile valleys animated nature appears in all its 

 loveliness and beauty. The mineralogist and geologist will 

 find ample materials of the greatest interest on their moun- 

 tains and the lesser ranges. In the latter especially — ^what is 

 called the Sewalik range*-are to be found remains made 

 known to us by the labours of Falconer and Cautley. But 

 although we are in possession of much interesting and valu- 

 able data regarding the palaeontology of the Himalayas, great 

 mines are yet undiscovered. The zoologist may ramble over 

 hill and dale, mountain and plain, and after a lifetime of 

 constant observation find his delightful pursuit more attrac- 

 tive than ever. It is on these noble mountains that the 

 sportsman can enjoy his favourite pastime unscathed by the 

 burning Indian sun ; in their lovely glens bears stalk un- 

 disturbed, whilst various species of deer, wild sheep, goats 

 and the ibex, feed unmolested on the craggy steeps. In the 

 forests and valleys along the sub-Himalayan range tigers and 

 leopards prowl, and the wild dog and various foxes seek sub- 



